Aging has allowed me to dabble in a variety of art media as well as activities.  I have been a resident of Hayward since 1972, and grateful for the opportunity our  popular visitor area provides.  Nature  and wildlife has given me endless subject matter  as an artist.

 

I have a long retail career that  co-existed with my art interests.  My first little gallery in '72 was a room at Angler's where the famous owner Cal Johnson had smoked fish.  I sold oil paintings there during the summer season, but had to paint the walls eight times with whitewash to stop the grey smokey wall from re-surfacing.  I taught oil painting at my former  building on hwy 63 for several years where we stocked art supplies, frames, craft supplies, unfinished furniture and fabric for quilting.  After stints in Minneapolis, Wichita and Savannah, I returned to Hayward opening Miss Emma's retail with a side of machine embroidered items for the gift industry, then Gallery & Gifts.   Norma Riehm is now operating the gallery & I do some teaching mosaic technique there.  I love old photos, so started a card line featuring my collection with humorous sayings adding new ones each year now totaling 64 titles .

 

A few years ago upon semi-retirement I developed a passion for the colors and patterns in stained glass, so began my mosaic passion.  I like puzzles, and combined simple wildlife sketches with glass cuts developing  my own style.  There are so many directions to explore in addition to using glass...like broken dinnerware,  jewelry, buttons, bottle caps, old keys etc.  I have a sunny studio above my garage and love the time that passes with good music and the creative process.