Since I was a child, drawing and painting have been a joy, a quiet passion— yet as I grew older— life intruded (I’m sure that’s something many of you have experienced too!). There was never a time that my art could be fully expressed or that I seemed to have the luxury of time to pursue it. Now, though, is the time.

My “Hallelujah”moment came in a dream several years ago--I dreamed I was walking down a street in a small village somewhere in Europe, and came to an open-air market covered with a bright yellow awning. I walked into the area and there were easels and paints all around. I picked up a brush and started painting. At that moment, I knew I was where I was supposed to be, doing what I was supposed to do. The feeling it gave me was, simply, overwhelming. SukisArt was born.

History

My work is a culmination of a lifetime of experiences, although what you will see are primarily cheerful, positive images with a lot of vividness and clarity. I am grateful—and relieved— that positivity has been an outgrowth of some challenging times.

I studied art in college, and loved it. But, like many women of my generation, I left school to marry and support my husband while he completed his degree. Life threw some curve balls, and I found myself in the challenging roles of single mother and provider. While my art continued to be my personal outlet for expression, I didn't share it with anyone.

I supported my daughter and I by working at the University of Kentucky in an full-time job. Pursuing an art degree was impossible with my work schedule, but a degree was important to me and would further job prospects. So I majored in Communications working full-time and later earning a Master’s Degree. I was fortunate to find myself in a part of the University that pretty much allowed me to craft my job, one focusing on publicizing and shining light on university-wide research. I had the freedom to found and publish a nationally-distributed research magazine, host a cable interview show featuring researchers and their work, and guide a team that published weekly newspaper columns, video productions, and other elements designed to publicize the faculty’s research. I loved my work and was given broad latitude in what I could do and the avenues I could pursue, all of which kept my creative interests alive and well. 

Some time later, I met and married John, the love of my life, and was able to travel, enjoy retirement, and begin exploring my creativity again. I began painting more and more, and found it a true joy. Even so, it took a while for me to take ownership of my work, to see a value in it, and to put it out into the light of day. I don’t think that's unusual, particularly for women with our many roles. Often, our own talents and passions easily take a back seat to necessity. And we have a hard time even acknowledging that we have any talent, let alone “owning” it. Gradually though I began to acknowledge my passion for art, and began posting a painting every few weeks on Facebook—a big step for me. The reactions from friends were so positive-- it was a wonderful feeling-- and to my surprise, my paintings were quickly selling. More info and examples of my work through the years can be found here.