While serving on the Wayland Arts Counsel in 1989, I met one of the artists whose studio was at the Saxonville Mill. She had a large etching press and invited me to take a class at her studio. I loved how spacious it felt, the big windows, high ceilings and dark oak floors. When a studio became available I was thrilled to have a creative space of my own

My studio is a reflection of my personality. It is a balance between a creative sanctuary and a meeting ground for artists to share our creative process using a common artistic language.

I am a painter who works in oils, acrylics and mixed media. I fill my studio with the things that inspire my creativity: a library of art books, files filled with collage material, shelves filled with still life objects and piles of interesting textiles, and always music, music and more music.

Three walls of my studio are painted a deep Tuscan shade of red, and I painted several old chairs in rich bold colors. Lots of big tables, a room full of easels, a couch and of course the ever-important coffee maker make this a welcoming place to work and gather.

My paintings are about the relationship between objects. They are about rich color and layered brush strokes. I prefer painting from life and set up elaborate still-life arrangements, something I've been working with since my days at the High School of Music and Art with my dear teacher, Matthew Feinman, whom I now count as a friend and colleague.

I begin most paintings with line. My charcoal drawing becomes the armature that searches for the architecture of the composition. Then comes the blocking-in of big areas of color. I often go back to using line in order to push the composition further. It’s a dance between line, color and form, a kind of choreography.

I never know where a painting will take me. I photograph my work in process and have made short animated movies showing the evolution of a painting. It’s never as simple as A-Z.

My painting muses are my Goldendoodles, Sophie and Joey, who accompany me each day and can be found sprawled out at my feet while I work. They often find their way into my paintings as subjects.They belong here in the studio for a special reason, which is really a funny story of synchronicities. I purchased my first goldendoodle puppy, Sophie, from Kathryn Lee of makewayfordoodles.com. She is the niece of Robert McCloskey, the beloved children’s book author of Make Way for Ducklings. The beautiful connection was that my first studio in Saxonville was previously occupied by Nancy Schön, the artist who sculpted the famous Make Way for Duckling sculpture located in The Boston Garden. So Saxonville brought the Ducklings and the Doodles all together.

My work is influenced by everything around me. Every morning before coming to the studio I walk my dogs on the conservation land and breath in the colors of the seasons. I take this back to the studio with me. This is what informs and inspires me.

My studio at Saxonville is more than just a place to paint. It's my "other home," a "room of my own" and a salon of inspiration and dedication. Come visit on our annual Open Studio days, a wonderful opportunity to see where art generates.