“I’ve considered myself an artist since childhood but didn’t become a professional artist until I had to retire from my conventional job due to vision loss. What is left of my vision is a couple of muted colors but mostly shades of gray. I have a minimal field of vision and what I do see is blurred. As natural or artificial light around me dims, my vision diminishes to nothing.
“I try to remain positive each time I start a new painting. When working on a painting, I still want to hold my work up to the standards of the visual world. I realize that the colors or details may not be exact, and I can only hope that it can add to the personality of the painting. People say this makes my style more impressionistic, which I don’t mind because I loved the French Impressionists.
“I work in daylight along with extra lamps and an iPad to magnify details and textures. I keep my pastels in good order so I have an idea of what color I’m using. I work with pastels for their richness and the process of working from dark to light works well for me. My compositions vary and they work best when I feel a personal connection.
“I have taken art classes throughout my life at the American Academy of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, Oak Park Art League and LaGrange Art League. My paintings have been exhibited at galleries, art fairs, restaurants and boutiques.
