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Art By Bali
I was born on the Naval base in Norfolk Virginia and then lived in several states while my father coached football at the University of Kentucky, Vanderbilt and UCLA. We settled in Knoxville, Tennessee where my father went into the family business.
Before I gave in to my lifelong desire to paint, I had been a teacher, mother and real estate agent. In 1997, I retired from all but art – learning and painting and learning more. In 2000, I was awarded signature membership in the National Association of Acrylic Painters, NAPA, which later changed names to International Society of Acrylic Painters, ISAP. I had won awards in exhibitions and had sold paintings but my professional art goals were still hazy when a local gallery owner happened to see one of my paintings in 2002 and asked if she could carry my work.
My husband and I had lived together in eight major United States cities by the time I devoted my career to art. We’d traveled and had wonderful experiences and joys and personal tragedies. This has given me the perspective that there is beauty and honesty in simplicity and that there are blessings to be found in every experience in life. It’s this positive and resilient spirit that I try to paint onto my canvases.
Some may describe me as self-taught – not by my definition. I have been fortunate to have had fabulous experiences with many wonderful artists- workshops, lessons and other instruction. While some of my teachers may be better known than others, they have all been very generous with their time and knowledge and all had great impact on me and my art.
- Carol Arabie
- Bob Burridge
- Joanna Coke
- Ken Hosmer
- Morton Solberg
- Ann Warner
- Alice Williams
- Leonard Wren
- Tom Browning
- Scott Burdick
- Scott Christianson
- Betty Carr
- Michael Del Priore
- Dan Gerhartz
- Quang Ho
- Robert Johnson
- Kevin McPherson
- C.W. Mundy
- Morgan Samuel Price
- Timothy Thies
Statement
I try to interpret my vision of positive and uplifting subjects through vivid color and texture, variety and contrast believing that they stimulate the mind and the imagination. I want my paintings to evoke in the viewer some kind of positive response – a thought, a memory, an emotion, a hope - to lift the spirit in some way.
My husband and I had lived in eight major United States cities and I had been a teacher, mother and real estate agent before giving in to the voice in my head and the desire in my heart to devote all of my time to painting. Consequently, I came into the art world wiser and with more experience and appreciation for life than I might have otherwise.
Though experimenting with various media through the years, I have become a strong advocate for acrylics as the medium for the 21st century. Even though they have only been in existence since the 1920s, in theory, they should be more durable than any other media. I find they are extremely versatile and a joy to use.