The day watercolor came into my life…
I have been a professional tattoo artist since 2002 and yet I never painted on anything other than the human body until 2022, the year my mother’s illness advanced.
It was during her care with dementia that “watercolor” came into my life. My career and hobbies came to an abrupt halt as my husband, David and I cared for her at home. It was such an emotional time for me.
David suggested that I take up painting since this was an activity I could do at home while I cared for mom… Little did I know that this watercolor class was going to teach me something about life.…
In tattoo art, wherever I place my needle is exactly where the color is deposited. I can control my design with exact precision as needed. In watercolor, I cannot. Wherever I place the paint and water on my paper, the paint will run and spread turning a well-planned flower into an unplanned waterfall! I learned to accept that I was not in control, and allowed the water to help me in my creation. All of the unplanned smudges, merging colors, random light, and shadowy spaces add to the beauty of my paintings. As my mother was declining, I could not control her situation. The only thing I could do was make her comfortable. I had to let go… Watercolor taught me that.
Even though mom is no longer with me I still paint everyday. It gives me great joy and peace creating whimsical images of nature and botanicals. I never plan my paintings other than my color palette. You’ll see splashes of purple in most of my paintings, as that was my mother’s favorite color…..
All of my paintings are original. Most sizes are 11×14, 8×10 and mini masterpieces in 5×7. I also have hand painted earrings with crystal and glass findings, bookmarks with “words of wisdom” for those who love to hold a real book when reading, and greeting cards are that are prints of some of my favorite paintings.
You can view my entire collection on Instagram. If there is a painting you love, please text me for more information. I can either mail it to you or you can visit my private art studio at home in Raleigh. If there is a painting you want, but it’s marked “SOLD” on Instagram, I can paint another one similar, but not exactly the same as each painting is unique and original.
Where to find me?
Durham Farmer’s Market on Saturday’s from 9am-12pm. Near Cecy’s Art Gallery, 417 Foster Street, Durham and at various pop up markets in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill are. Check out my Instagram page for details or text me just to be sure I’m attending the market. 561-213-1825
Thank you for visiting my site. Peace