About Me

My dossier, a brief outline of me: Born in Washington, D.C., lived in Manhattan for 24 years before moving to rural Nova Scotia in 1984.

After studying English Literature at Brown University, I went on to Yale for painting (under the influence of Josef Albers).

I left my marriage after thirteen years, taking two young children, Aaron and Tamar, then ages 5 and 11, now adults with children of their own, Shaya (Aaron�s daughter) and Damian (Tamar�s son). My children have been, are, and always will be a major part of my life.

I paint full time. After twenty years teaching at the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design (now called NSCAD University) in Halifax, I now teach only occassionally.

I love painting. I feel privileged to live where I do and do what I do.

The extended version: I moved to Canada in 1984, with my (then teenage) son. Tamar stayed behind in NYC to pursue a career in film. She is now in the NYC area with her husband and son, writing. Aaron has moved between Halifax, Montreal and Ottawa and does illustration and graphic design. I was lured here by a man, Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche. I am a practicing Buddhist (since 1979) and had heard that Trungpa Rinpoche was moving here so I did and then he died. To me, New York had always been the center of the universe and I thought it should separate from New York State, if not from the United States itself. When I was in art school, a friend of mine had said that if you want to be an artist, you have to live in New York. He moved to Providence, R.I. where he lives still. I am now a proud Canadian citizen. The Garden of Eden is my back yard. (No apples, though.) It would be hard not to like it in NS. I was glad to leave NYC by the time I did, although it wasn’t planned for long. Like most Americans, I didn’t really know on which side of the continent Nova Scotia was before I first visited (and bought a house on the ocean), but now I know (and prefer living by the lake).

After a few moves around the area, I have settled into a house I designed (with the help of an architect friend) and built by a lake. I love to swim in the summer, have a paddle-boat and canoe, and to walk on the lake in the winter. I've been learning tai chi, qi gong and studying Traditional Chinese Medicine. I live with my Portuguese Water Dog, Lila. She is my fourth dog; the other three were Golden Retrievers.

I have done really well with my painting, considering that I am not naturally a political player and it is a political game at times. I do really enjoy showing my work. I have several good galleries in the states and across Canada and in Europe. In fact, Canada has been very good to me. The past few years, especially. I have received several big grants and people generally say I am successful. I, of course, always want more, more visibility, a broader audience, etc. It is all about communication, even without words.

I could tell you my favorite color is red (and colors close to it). I read novels, especially long and good ones. I rarely do not finish a book that I start. Only once, recently. I was a lit major once upon a time and still sometimes feel like it.

What I am like: I am sometimes outgoing and personable and yet often very reserved and introspective. I am independent in thought and living, spend a lot of time alone with my work, yet enjoy people. Actually, I love the title of �senior� because it gets me into movies and onto planes cheaper. But for the feelings, I don�t have them. Still feel young and eager and know I have a lot to learn. I am very sensitive, receptive, flexible and intuitive. I�m not a great housekeeper (especially not my studio) but I might rearrange dishes in my dishwasher to suit my taste, but that is about it. Generally, I am not overly structured but am very disciplined and responsible. I could be described as a domesticated dreamer.

Maybe this is getting too long and I should stop here. Your turn!