I am a painter, and work both in soft pastel, and oil. I love to blur the line between abstraction and representation, in both pastel and Oil and cold wax medium.

For the past year, I have been immersed in developing an exciting new body of work using oil and cold wax, and am greatly enjoying exploring this new medium. I will be adding more of my new work in stages in the coming months.

I am still best known for my work in soft pastel, which has been my primary focus for many years. My paintings have been exhibited widely, including national and international juried exhibitions, and have received numerous awards. In 2018, my Aerial Series was featured in a 10 page article in Pastel Magazine. In 2019 I was awarded Signature Membership in Pastel Society of America (PSA).

I have a BFA from the Boston Museum School in partnership with Tufts University, and  have studied since then with many accomplished artists and teachers. Pastelists Liz Haywood Sullivan, Jeanne Rosier Smith, and Michele Poirier-Mozzone; oil painters Tim Hawkesworth, Jon Redmond, Margaret McQwethy, and Melinda Cootsona, as well as the founders of Cold Wax Academy— Rebecca Crowell, and Jerry McLaughlin. I have learned so much from all of them!

I live and work in The Eclipse Mill Artist Lofts in North Adams, MA

MEMBERSHIPS:
Signature member: Pastel Society of America (PSA)
Signature member: Pastel Society of Cape Cod (PPSCC)

REPRESENTED BY:
Real Eyes Gallery, Adams, MA
FranklinWestwood.com
Francesca Anderson Fine Arts, Lexington, MA

RECENT AWARDS INCLUDE:

Renaissance in Pastels, Connecticut Pastel Society (CPS), Great American Pastels Award, Oct 2020
Enduring Brilliance, Pastel Society of America (PSA), The Salmagundi Award, September 2019
Renaissance in Pastels, CPS, Pastel Society of America Award, November 2018
For Pastel’s Only, (FPO) Pastel Painter’s Society of Cape Cod (Dakota Art Pastels Award, June 2018
Summer Arts Festival, South Shore Art Center (SSAC)Second Place in Drawing and Pastels, June 2017
Entryways, SSAC National Juried Show, Third Place, January 2017
PPSCC Member Show, Second Place, October 2016
Purely Pastel, CPS, Bronze Award for Excellence, June – July 2016
Gallery 334, Milton Art Center, Celebrate Summer, People’s Choice: Best in Show, 2016
UArt 2015 National Online Juried Competition, Best in Show, August 2015
Renaissance in Pastels, CPS, Judith Walo Memorial Award, October 2015

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS:

A Sense of Place, A Fundraising  Exhibit to Benefit Louison House
Providing creative housing solutions and innovative special services to Berkshire County
North Adams Contemporary Artists: Debi Pendell, Diane Sawyer, Sarah Sutro, and Betty Vera
Real Eyes Gallery, 71 Park Street, Adams, MA. 50% of Sales to go to Louison House.

A Closer Look, Exploration and Discovery, Inspired by Masterworks at the Clark Museum
Eclipse Mill Gallery, North Adams MA, April-May, 2022

RECENT EXHIBITIONS:

Emergence, four person show at the Eclipse Mill Gallery, June 2021
Isolation| Expanse, Solo show at Real Eyes Gallery, Adams, MA, May 2021
IMPROMPTU, Eclipse Gallery: Five Person Collaborative Show, April 2021
For Pastels Only (FPO), PPSCC, June 2012 – 2020
Eclipse Mill Artists Annual Exhibition, September 2019, October 2018
Renaissance in Pastels, Connecticut Pastel Society (CPS), Oct. 18 – Nov. 17, 2018
International Association of Pastel Societies, (IAPS), Juried Show, November 2018
Summer Arts Festival, SSAC, June 2018
Making Our Mark, Sprinkler Factory Gallery, Worcester, MA, 6 person show, April 2018
Nocturnes, Juried Exhibition, True Grit Gallery, November – December, 2018
Shapes and Shadows, Juried Exhibition, SSAC, January – February 2018
Renaissance in Pastels, Connecticut Pastel Society CPS, October – November 2017
Pigments, five-person show, SSAC, September 15 – November 5, 2017

PUBLICITY:

An article published in Art New England May/June 2021 issue included focus on our five person collaborative show, IMPROMPTU.

I am honored to be profiled in the Nov/Dec 2018 issue of Pastel Journal, in a 10 page article focusing on my Aerial series.

In 2017 my work was featured in Pastel Journal in an article about the IAPS exhibition, and in a South Shore Living article about True Grit Gallery.

Coverage of my shows and awards has appeared in: The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Worcester Telegram and Gazette, and Milton Times

JUROR:
Juror of Awards: Connecticut Pastel Society, Renaissance in Pastels, 2016
Juror: Signature Membership Panel, Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, 2017, 2018

VOLUNTEER:
Gallery Chair, Gallery 334, Milton Art Center, Milton MA 2014 – 2018
Organizer of MAC Juried shows 2016 – 2018.
PPSCC: Master Workshop Coordinator, FPO Awards Committee