I wanted to share an article I wrote for TUALATIN LIFE NEWSPAPER which appeared this January regarding the importance of community for artists. When artists seek each other out and belong to groups where they can visit and share their work, the quality of their art life improves . I belong to such a group which is called Wild Over Watercolor, and it has made an enormous difference to my art and my circle of colleagues and friends.

During the pandemic when we were locked down and figuring out how not to go insane with isolation and fear, I kept my art life alive through zoom. In that period of trying to keep creative and produce, and frankly to find new ways to express meaning without becoming dark, I took inspiration from Miro and mark-making. A lot of weird sketches and paintings came out of that period! This year as I looked back at older works and asked myself how I’ve changed and how my work reflects new attitudes...

As many of you know, one of my activities in the community is coordinating art shows at the Tualatin Library. I've been doing this for 15...