I've lived in the Pacific Northwest my whole life. I currently reside in Washougal, Washington. While predominately self-taught, I had the pleasure of learning from local artist Susan Spears, as she taught my high school art classes. Where she left-off, I filled-in the gaps with years of practice.

 

As far as my art process, I work from sketches and all of my works are painted with eco-friendly water mixable oils onto pre-primed and pre-stretched canvases. I prefer to work without an easel. I paint with my canvas flat on a table and rotate it around while I paint. I am just as comfortable working with my painting facing sideways or upside-down. I do not sign my works on the front, only the back or side. I think seeing my signature on the front is a distraction. I also number my works only. Instead of stating what the painting is about, I like to hear what people think the painting looks like. It's much more fun that way!

 

In conclusion, I'd like to share a few quotes from a musical artist I admire a great deal, Tori Amos. In her book, Piece by Piece, she writes about the creative process. I feel similarly about painting. She states, "The romantic myth of the artist says that you are the Source. I have no illusion about that.""You cocreate with an infinite source..." "Good artists are the ones that whisper our own stories back to us."

 

Thanks for visiting my site.

 

Beth Flannigan