Star Wars Family

My formal education and training has been on going.  I studied art at the University of Southern California in the 1960's.   I was an elementary school teacher for 52 years with The Los Angeles Board of Education.  During those 52 years I also was the GATE teacher for gifted children and I was able to develop a yearly art exhibition for the students at 186th Street School in Gardena, California.

I have a thirst for learning.  In 1995, I decided to take a class at the Palos Verdes Art Center and I have been taking classes ever since.  My experience with artists is the fact that they share ideas, other artists, classes and articles.  I met Henry Fukahara, whose work is in the Smithsonian.  I have taken classes from Henry, Gemma Taccogna, who was a student of Marc Chagall, Linda Moyer Stevens, Neil Nagy, Craig Antrim and others. I loved my classes at Otis Art Institute and I plan on always taking classes for new techniques, styles and motivation.

My grandmother, Mrs. Edith Sherman, was my mentor.  She gave me life to play and discover art when I was a small child.  She had her own art studio in Oakland, California when she was 92 years old.  She was Bohemian by nature and she and I were inseparable by spirit.  I still feel her influence, her calm and her dedication.

This is my background concerning my family. My father was an Oral Surgeon.  He was so gifted in his field.  He was head dentist for The Hilton Hotels in Los Angeles where he was respected by everyone that was associated with his work.  

I was an only child.  In my childhood, my Auntie Ann and my cousins were my closest family. Today we are still quite close.  This is a gift that I will always value.

I was married to a wonderful man, Michael. Sadly, he passed away of cancer.  He has a lot to put up with because I am an artist and our home is our studio.  This can be a bit messy at times.
I have a son Jeffery and 2 grandchildren, Sydney and Hunter.  Both children are a delight and I always look forward towards being with them.  Kids are always our teachers. 

I am a member of The South Bay Watercolor Society in Torrance, California.
The Artists Open Group in Palos Verdes, California
The Artists Studio Gallery in Rolling Hills, California
The Society of Layerists in Multi-Media for The United States. National Museum of Women in the Arts