Part I

Retrospective of 40 to 50 years:  The reason for the variable is this:  50 years ago while a student in the PhD Literature program at UC Berkeley I finely (after long years of debate!) made up my mind to be an artist.  I had done a series of water colors from a trip to White Sands, put them up in my meditation closet,  looked at them altogether a few days later, and discovered:  I am an artist!    And from then on my path was clear and certain.  While still in the PhD program I pursued pottery, sculpture and batik.   40 years ago in Santa Fe I renewed that commitment, I was newly married and we had a son of 1 year old, and my art career took on it's next phase: one year of watercolors, one year of etchings and  the third year I began interiors of Santa Fe, restaurants, cafe's,  hotels, Indian Market etc. and even a series of the Balloon Fiesta.
After my 1st retrospective at St. John's college, inspired by a long somewhat disconcerting discussion with a an art critic working for the New Mexican, I began my series:  Journey of the Fool and changed from oil to egg tempera.right in the middle of a Master Class with Henriette Wyeth-Hurd, totally in a different direction from what she and her son Michael were teaching, uninspired by their more concrete almost scientific approach, I was catapulted into my fertile imagination.   Many woman artists feel they must devote themselves totally to art giving up motherhood and family to "get ahead" -    I felt different, all of life experiences are material for my paintings.  Being pregnant and having a child was an unforgettable experience and grist for  art.    My husband and I both having had some deeply traumatic childhood experiences, reached out to 3 other children through adoption, enriching ours and their experience.   And while my painting time became more limited, my concentration and discipline were deep and steady.was .  (next part while contain images as well.)