The Early Years
Oils
WaterColors
Acrylics
ca. 1983: My first painting was in acrylic, and I had never taken painting lessons. A friend of mine used to sell artwork in the 80's by holding "Home Parties." I didn't want to tell her that I couldn't afford them when she kept trying to sell me a painting. So for some reason I blurted out "Why would I pay for someone's artwork when I could paint my own?" She didn't think I could paint, so she challenged me. I knew I could draw pretty well, so I went to our local arts and crafts store called Columbia Village and bought some acrylic paints, brushes and a canvas. I decided to paint a lioness and her 3 cubs. (I am not fond of the yellow background, but back then it matched my walls, lol. I may get around to changing it one of these days...) I didn't paint another acrylic painting until around 2008.
Spring 2000: I took a semester of beginner watercolor at PCC and was painting about 10 hours a week in that class, so I picked it up pretty quickly. In June I decided to buy some more painting supplies, so I went back to Columbia Village and bought some more watercolor paints and a few step-by-step painting books. I went to the counter to pay for my purchases, and was offered a job teaching beginner watercolor! I taught there for 1 year and the owners decided to stop offering painting classes, so in the Fall of 2001 I took another semester of watercolor. While buying class supplies at Michael's Arts & Crafts, I learned they were hiring. I taught there until 2004. I currently teach from home by appointment.
Summer 2007: I took a few private oil painting lessons with the encouragement of one of my watercolor students, who also took the class with me. (She told me later that she wanted to make sure that I tried other painting mediums, so soon after our oil painting classes, we began to paint in acrylic.) I now use water soluble oil paints.