I grew up in Ottawa, Illinois during the “Great Depression”. After graduating from LPO Junior College, I met and married William Hall, who was in the US Army. My plan to study some art in Chicago ended, and we moved to Heidelberg, Germany, the first of many moves.
At the University of Heidelberg, I registered for a drawing class and was sent to a third floor garret. The man who opened the door was wearing the thickest glasses I had ever seen. He pointed to a stool and said “sit.” He sat next to me – our noses almost touching and demanded that I “draw.” I fled the place – never to return.
We moved to Athens, Greece where I had painting lessons from a Russian woman. She served tea to our class and cocktails to her later class – and wondered why they were more imaginative than we were!!
In Virginia, I had a teacher who insisted we paint outdoors and attack our canvas with palette knives.
In New Jersey, I took our young daughter to the Old Mill (built in 1676 – still there) where an old gentleman taught her oil painting and I worked with clay.
The next move was to Florida. I joined another painting class. We painted “still life.”
Our last move was to Richland Center, Wisconsin, when my husband retired from the army. I took some Art History, Drawing and Ceramics classes here at UW Richland. We continued to travel, now for leisure, so I was lucky enough to be able to see famous art in famous galleries in Europe. My favorite gallery is Musee d’Orsay in Paris. I shall always remember the lovely Bayeux Tapestry in Bayeux, France and the prehistoric cave paintings at les Eyzies.
In 2008, I had plein air painting lessons from Charles Ceraso at Ghost Ranch, in Abiquiu, New Mexico.
I am currently a member of the Red Door Gallery.
Artist’s Statement
My many teachers had different approaches to painting, and my painting methods are an amalgam of them all. I use a variety of media – watercolor, charcoal, graphite, oil pastel, and oil paint, but my preference is oil painting. I like the intense colors that can be achieved with oil paint. Painting brings back great memories of our times living and traveling in Europe. My husband always took photos for me to use as references for my painting, and these I often use in my painting today. I also enjoy painting flowers and other still life because of their color.
