Artist Statement
HAPPINESS The question of happiness came up in an interview for an article a while back. I have been so blessed with family and friends. Not only did I have a happy childhood, filled with adventure, but I also had my children, who to this day, fill me with pride and joy. I learned from the beginning to recognize every moment and seize the time; it’s precious. Look at everything around you, breathe the pureness of life, and elevate the spirit. I say this knowing that there are dark days too. We must embrace these as part of our course in being human. Tests in finding balance, for every day is a new day to renew choices. Life is full of choices. Why not choose happiness? It is all in our perspective. How do we understand the meaning of being alive? For me, passion is the way to happiness. It consumes all else and, in some way, becomes the truth of who we are. Having goals is something we can work toward, accomplish, and mark down on our list. It is the act of pursuit that we humans like to chase. Passion is something you’re born with and have to become aware of. Sometimes it’s hard to know what it is. If we find our truth, then we can stay on course through all life’s trials. Art interested me as a child and has stayed with me throughout my life. I became Art in my whole being, and feel a sense of accomplishment. I strive to learn each time I paint and realize that it is the quest of being a painter. A sense of purpose. Which equates to my sense of happiness. Art has been a lifetime of pure joy. From the very beginning, as a child, I was thrilled at receiving a giant set of crayons with seemingly every color imaginable. At every chance, I occupied my time on the kitchen table drawing horses and funny faces and making up stories.. My grandmother, who was an actress and singer, influenced me when she took up painting in her later life. I remember the smell of turpentine so well when I entered her studio on her lanai. She had studied painting with Dederick Stuber, a California painter known for his landscape paintings. She let me try a little oil painting one time and took me to a variety of art lessons. I loved working with watercolor, pen and ink, any kind of paint would do. I studied through my father’s library of art books, sometimes hour upon hour thumbing through the iconic paintings of the Renaissance and my favorite Impressionistic painters, while listening to classical music. I was told I would become a painter one day. High School ended, and the Vietnam War was raging. I won a scholarship to the San Francisco Art Academy. I wasn’t ready to settle down, and instead decided to explore all opportunities for travel. My best girlfriend and I hitchhiked across America to the East Coast, up to Nova Scotia, down to Florida, then back to Vermont. Two blonde-haired California girls out in the world finding acceptance of our boldness and riding on our uniquely built up confidence to last and keep us 10 months on the road. The variety of landscapes and excitement of exploration left an everlasting drive to expand travel experiences across the globe; thus, Europe became my next destination. That first time I went to Europe, I was on a spontaneous tour, fun and alive. Everything arrested my senses. After a year abroad, I went home to save up for the next adventure. I decided to work in Hawaii. I began designing leather works, jewelry and painting scenes of tropical fish and fauna in watercolor that were placed in an art gallery. I started working in oil and began working en plein air. I took one lesson with an artist named Haber, and it was then I realized how much I wanted to become a real painter. I knew it was my destiny and that it was time I go back to Europe and studied fine art painting. I would go to Paris and fully engage in an artist life. From then on I have practiced painting. Through a variety of media, watercolor, pen and ink, pastel and oil, my work has evolved. All an expression of emotionally charged, intuitive choices. For me, planet Earth exudes such beauty. I feel honored to experience this ultimate exultation of nature. I am inspired by the Plein Air painters of California, the Bay Area Expressionist, and continue to love Impressionism like Monet, Gauguin and Van Gogh, as everyone does. I paint in oil, to achieve my own style. With bold brush and palette knife I thrive in glorious color combined together celebrating landscape. It can be called traditional Plein Air, Impressionism and Expressionistic Impressionism for lack of a correct title. To be successful at anything, I believe one must put hard work in, to get the best results. Being a painter one must be self-motivated because no one is tracking your efforts but you. It is self guided in every way from the actual painting to presentation, to sales. When it finds a place with a collector, the satisfaction of knowing that what inspired you to create it, has now connected to others. This connection feels almost miraculous and extremely joyful. So not only is painting an ongoing journey or pursuit in one’s own creation but also reaches out to the soul’s of the audience. If we find our own truth, then, we can stay on course through life’s trials. .
Artist Bio
2024-25 City of Hope Medical Group, Cancer Facility, Irvine, CA
2024 25 Sawdust Art Festival, Sumer Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA
A Salute To Sorrento, Reflections, A Tribute to International Friendship, Dana Bay
Gallery, Dana Point, CA
Laguna Plein Air Painter’s Association, Laguna Beach, CA 2013-2024
2023 Sawdust Art Festival Summer Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA
Saint Francesco Cloister, Sorrento, Italy, Invitational International Exhibition with City of
Dana Point and Sister City, Sorrento, Italy, CA
2022 Sawdust Art Festival Summer Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA
Randy Higbee 6×6, Gala Exhibition Juried Fine Art Show, Costa Mesa, CA
2021 KTLA Live National News Interview, Featured Artist, Laguna Beach, CA
ShoutOut LA Magazine , March Issue, Los Angeles, CA
Sawdust Art Festival Summer Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA
2020 Sawdust Spring Festival Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA
2019 Arizona Fine Art Expo 2019, Winter, Scottsdale, AZ
Sawdust Art Festival Summer Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA
2018 City of Laguna Beach, CA 16ft.x 4ft. Banner Design, (display summer 7+ year)
City of Laguna Beach, Juried Exhibition
Crystal Cove Conservancy, Invitational Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA
Santa Cruz Art Center, Invitational, Santa Cruz, CA
2017 Painting Trip to France and Italy
32 Winds Winery, Invitational Paint Out and Exhibition, Healdburg, CA
Treehouse Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA .
Randy Higbee’s 6 x 6 Gala Exhibition juried Show, Costa Mesa, CA 2013-2017
Laguna Classic Cars and Automotive Art, Laguna Beach, CA, 2015-2019
2015 Tuscany Painting Workshop, Dievole Vineyard
2014 Southern California Plein Air Painter’s Association, CA 2012, 2013, 2014
Laguna Plein Air Painter Association, CA ongoing
2011 The “ Art Experience” Laguna Beach, CA 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
2005 Legacy, World Art Gallery, Ladera Ranch, CA
2004 Set up studio in Laguna Beach, CA
Celebration of Fine Art Exhibition, Scottsdale, AZ
2003 Joyful Afternoon, Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman, MT
2001 Hockaday Art Museum, Grant Kohr’s Ranch Summer Gathering, Kalispell,MT
2000 Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT
Paris Gibson Museum of Art, Great Falls, MT
Symposium Lecture, Brigham Young University, Rexburg, ID
Arts Chateau Museum, Butte, MT
1999 Nicholayson Museum of Fine Art, Casper, WY
Jackson Hole Wildlife Conservancy, Annual Art Show&Auction, Jackson, WY
EXHIBITIONS and Representation
2020-23 LPAPA Strong Auction, Laguna Beach, CA
2020-22 Sawdust Art Festival, 2021, Laguna Beach, CA
2019 Arizona Fine Art Expo 2019, Winter, Scottsdale, AZ
Sawdust Art Festival 2019 Summer, Laguna Beach, CA
2018 City of Laguna Beach, Juried Art Show, Laguna Beach, CA
Randy Higbee Gallery, Crystal Cove, Sand To Sea, Laguna Beach, CA
Crystal Cove Conservancy Benefit, Laguna Beach, CA
City of Laguna Beach, Summer 16’x4′ Banner Design, 2018
Westmont Ridley Tree Museum of Art , Santa Barbara, CA 2011, 2014
Forest & Ocean Gallery, (representation), Laguna Beach, CA
Muth Interpretive Center, Costa Mesa, CA
2016 Randy Higbee Gallery,6 X 6, Costa Mesa, CA 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 2019, 2022
2012 SOCALPAPA Annual Art Festival,Muth Interpretive Center, Costa Mesa,CA
ENC, Green Tie Art Exhibit, Newport Beach, CA
Randy Higbee Gallery, Less is More, LPAPA, Costa Mesa, CA
Debra Huse Gallery, Balboa Island, CA
2009 The Cottage Gallery, USPA, Laguna Beach, CA
2006 Legends, Solo Exhibition, Irvine, CA
2005 Legacy, World Art Gallery, Ladera Ranch, CA
2004 Red Raven Gallery, Big Sky, MT
Heartwood Gallery, Bozeman, MT
2003 Savant Clair Galerie, Summer Show, Bozeman, MT
2002 Sagebrush Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Ketchum, ID
2001 Old West Gallery, Dillon, MT
Savant Clair Galerie, Waterworks, Bozeman, MT
1999 Jackson Hole Wildlife Conservancy, Annual Art Show, Jackson, WY
1998 Danforth Gallery, Two Person Show, Livingston, MT
C.M. Russell Museum, On the trail of Lewis and Clark, Great Falls, MT
Savant Clair Galerie, Emerson Cultural Center, Bozeman, MT
1997 Chaparral Fine Arts, Tribute to Edgar Payne, Masters of Montana, Bozeman
Montana Trails gallery, Two Person Show, Bozeman, MT
1996 Martin Harris Gallery,(representation) Jackson, WY
Chaparral Fine Art, Tribute to Monet, Masters of Montana, Bozeman, MT
1995 Wade Gallery, Earth Day Celebration, Livingston, MT
Chaparral Fine Art(representation),Tribute to Degas,Masters of Montana,Bozeman,MT
Myrna Loy Center, Electrum XXIV, Juried Show, Helena, MT
AWARDS
2018 Summer Banner Design, Public Display City of Laguna Beach, CA
2009 The Cottage Gallery, Honorable Mention, Laguna Beach, CA
1995 Myrna Loy Center, Electrum XXIV, Best of Show, Helena, MT
Missoula Carousel Design Competition, Honorable Mention, Missoula, MT
1994 Seafood Leader International Art Competition, Showcase Winner, Seattle, WA
1986 People’s Republic of China, Full Grant, Exploration of Major Art Academies
1981 Los Angeles Times, Certificate of Excellence, Los Angeles, CA
1974 First Place, Oxnard Art Associations, Oxnard, CA
1972 San Francisco Art Academy, Scholarship Award, San Francisco, CA
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2022 Laguna Beach Magazine, May issue, Preview, page.79, Laguna Beach, CA
2021 Shoutout LA, March issue,Voyage Group of Magazines Los Angeles, CA
2018 Front Cover, Laguna Beach, Community Services Magazine, Laguna Beach, CA
2011 Patch, Laguna Beach, Featured artist, CA
2009 The Business of art, Gloria Gales, Laguna Beach, CA
2001 Big Sky Journal, Art Issue, Featured Article, Bozeman, MT
Chronicle Newspaper, This Week, Cover article, Bozeman, MT
2000 Tributary News, Featured Article, Bozeman, MT
1997 Tributary News, Featured Article, Bozeman, MT
COLLECTION (shorten version)
City of Laguna Beach, CA
Brigham Young University, Rexburg, ID
Boulder Resort and Spa, Scottsdale, AZ
Security Pacific Bank, Los Angeles, CA
China International Travel Services, Bejing, China
Hilton Hotels, HI
Pacific Gas and Electric, Los Angeles, CA
Reeks Investment Bankers, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Ernst, Whinney Corporation, Los Angeles, CA