The Orange County Artists Guild is a non-profit organization seeking to increase the visibility and recognition of area artists and crafts people.

From Jackson Hole to Charleston and all points in-between, it’s the same thing. Oils, acrylics and 3-D sculptures are in every gallery across the land, but very few have watercolors on their walls. Why is that? For many years, watercolorists have sought a level playing field compared to other mediums. Galleries are quick to point out their perceived ‘lack’ of longevity and permanence’ as well as the ‘annoying distraction of reflections’. Special UV non-glare glazing is available, but expensive. Well... I am thrilled to announce that during September, I am part of a group of watercolorists who are participating in…

This past summer I’ve focused on making wholecloth painted art quilts. These are not quilts for beds, but textile art to display on the wall. Each piece starts with plain white fabric, which I paint with acrylic textile paint. I then layer the piece with batting and a backing fabric before free-motion machine quilting it. I love both the process of painting and the meditative machine stitching, which adds pattern and texture. Right now, I’m quilting Fern Dance which is based on the native Christmas Ferns that grow around our house. To start this piece, I smeared a base layer…

Covid has been a very challenging yet interesting time for me. Since I typically work alone in my studio each day, the isolation has not been as difficult and it has given me the time and permission to paint again! I love to paint, and it comes easy to me after working with the metals and stones of my jewelry. As my body ages, I begin to look to less demanding forms of creating and painting works well for me. The art shows stopped during Covid, which are my primary source of income, so I had to cut down on…