My
Background
and Business
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My family and I live in Northern Virginia, an hour's drive from
Washington, DC, although I’m originally from a small town in
Central New York.
Ever since my earliest years I've considered myself an artist,
although I haven’t always found the time to paint because I love
teaching so much! After I graduated from Smith College, I spent
my first five years teaching French language and culture at
Mercersburg Academy, a private high school boarding school in
PA. Soon after receiving my Master’s degree in French from
Middlebury College, my husband's job brought us both to
Virginia.
In 1997, I decided to start my own business, LinguaArt
Services, to give me a unique opportunity to teach a wide range
of ages and combine my love of teaching with my interests in
both French and art. While I continue to teach some French
lessons, and often incorporate French into my children's art
classes, the majority of my recent efforts have been geared
towards making and teaching art, leading recreational
therapeutic activities for senior adults, developing a line of
cards and prints as fundraisers for causes close to my heart,
and helping other artists develop their marketing materials and
websites.
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Why I Paint in
Watercolor
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Watercolor has been my medium of choice for over 25 years. I
absolutely love its portability, immediacy, transparent qualities,
the gorgeous color combinations, and the many ways it can be
combined with other media. Many of my newest pieces
combine the vibrancy of liquid acrylics with watercolor and
iridescent powders, either on paper, Clayboard or Aquabord by
Ampersand. Given the abundance of new products and painting
surfaces available, I believe that the creative possibilities are
endless, and that I will always have something new to learn
and share.
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What I Paint
and Why
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The inspiration for my work comes from the gift of God’s grace
in our lives, and the traces of His love for us often hidden in the
ordinary, the silence and the beautiful. As time permits I also
accept commissions for wedding vow portraits—original works
that combine customized designs with wedding vows in
calligraphy.
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My Heart's
Work
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Today, I am at a point where my artwork and teaching have
become synonymous with my heart’s work because they're as
much about words and actions as they are about paint and
technique.
As a teacher and an artist, my greatest joys involve making art
with others for others. I call these special projects Community
Gifts of Art, and they combine the talent and love of many hands
and hearts from all ages and ability levels. Our most recent gift
of art for a local nursing home was a collaboration of nearly 25
of my students, ages 5 to 90, and took 4 months to complete in
three different venues. (If you'd like to see some of these
projects, I invite you to click on the link "Community Art" at the
top of this page.)
Teaching art and working as an art therapist with the elderly
have taught me how art can become a vehicle to bring love and
joy to others. When I began my business I chose the name
LinguaArt Services because it combined "Lingua" (Language)
and art. Over time, however, I have come to see a deeper
meaning in that choice of words, namely that the language my
work is about isn't just about French or art, it's about the
language of love and encouragement, and art is my means to
share it.
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Resume
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French Resume (coming soon)
Art Resume
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