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A walk through my flower garden inspires me more than a whole day in a museum.
What motivates me to paint is nothing more than the beauty and color of the living world, whether it is flowers, landscapes or a vivid sunset. I draw my inspiration from my extensive flower garden and surroundings, especially the beautiful landscapes by my home in the Catskills.
For twenty-five years I lived in New York City, painting fabric for theater, film and fashion and I was constantly preoccupied with finding a way to bring color and life into otherwise drab surroundings. When I was young we had a beautiful garden in the English countryside, but today that is a luxury that few can have. I want my work to bring light and warmth into people's living rooms, into our crowded busy lives.
For me, art isn't just pictures on the wall. It's real, it's alive, it's a part of this world. I am deeply excited by the idea of functional art; ordinary things can be transformed into a source of delight and beauty. My painted silk scarves, floormats, and folding screens are all part of that same desire to bring art into people's lives in new ways. These days everything around us is mass-produced, and so much of it is so plain and ugly - I want to make special touches that can completely transform a room. The luminosity of silk is simply a joy to me, and the richness of the dyes produce an especially intense color saturation.
At the Oxford College of Art in England, and then at the Academie Julien in Paris, I had what is called a "classical" arts education. Yet, I was always interested in the decoration of fabric, in making art that becomes a real part of people's environments. On a trip to Israel I learned the art of batik from a friend. I sold my first fabrics in Israel. I was inspired there by the local arts traditions, and had the chance to really bask in the work of several textile artists, as well as the colors and light of the desert.
As far as influences go, I've always loved the impressionists, and have always been drawn to the idea that the subject matter of a painting is less important than the color and the light. For me, the painting is never about the flowers. It is about beautiful colors, and about my communication of the great joy they bring me.
What motivates me to paint is nothing more than the beauty and color of the living world, whether it is flowers, landscapes or a vivid sunset. I draw my inspiration from my extensive flower garden and surroundings, especially the beautiful landscapes by my home in the Catskills.
For twenty-five years I lived in New York City, painting fabric for theater, film and fashion and I was constantly preoccupied with finding a way to bring color and life into otherwise drab surroundings. When I was young we had a beautiful garden in the English countryside, but today that is a luxury that few can have. I want my work to bring light and warmth into people's living rooms, into our crowded busy lives.
For me, art isn't just pictures on the wall. It's real, it's alive, it's a part of this world. I am deeply excited by the idea of functional art; ordinary things can be transformed into a source of delight and beauty. My painted silk scarves, floormats, and folding screens are all part of that same desire to bring art into people's lives in new ways. These days everything around us is mass-produced, and so much of it is so plain and ugly - I want to make special touches that can completely transform a room. The luminosity of silk is simply a joy to me, and the richness of the dyes produce an especially intense color saturation.
At the Oxford College of Art in England, and then at the Academie Julien in Paris, I had what is called a "classical" arts education. Yet, I was always interested in the decoration of fabric, in making art that becomes a real part of people's environments. On a trip to Israel I learned the art of batik from a friend. I sold my first fabrics in Israel. I was inspired there by the local arts traditions, and had the chance to really bask in the work of several textile artists, as well as the colors and light of the desert.
As far as influences go, I've always loved the impressionists, and have always been drawn to the idea that the subject matter of a painting is less important than the color and the light. For me, the painting is never about the flowers. It is about beautiful colors, and about my communication of the great joy they bring me.
