How long have you been creating?

I picked up a paint brush in 2001 quite by accident. I had wanted to paint since taking a few lessons when I was 14 years old, but real life came first, and my family believed painting was a frivolous and expensive hobby. My daughter came home with a painting project to complete for school one weekend, so I sat down with her and painted. I was hooked. I checked out every book on painting at the library, experimented with different paints, and took a few classes at the local Arts Council. To me, this was my guilty pleasure. As a single mom with two kids, finding the time and the money for painting was the challenge.

What's your media of choice?

I love it all! I paint with acrylic paint mostly. I like the fact that it dries so quickly and there is less mess. I often do small paintings using the water based oil paint - I am a messy painter, the longer the painting stays wet, the messier I get. I also work with pastel and watercolor.

What, besides your art, brings you creative fulfillment?

I have always been creative in some form. For many years, it was through sewing, designing dresses for my daughters and making quilts for their room. Then, for a while, I combined the sewing and painting, making porcelain dolls with elaborate costumes. Then, I finally settled on painting and left most of my other creative hobbies behind. Now, it is photography and painting. I occasionally in the winter crochet afghans for the family. I will soon be welcoming my first grandchild - there are quilts to be made, bibs to cross stitch, and, in the near future, baby portraits to paint.

What are your motivations for creating?

It is more of a compulsion. I have to paint. I have so many paintings floating around in my head, there is not enough time to get them on canvas. I have finally bought a sketch pad journal to write ideas down as they come to me before I forget them. I have so many napkins and small slips of paper with sketches on them. I also have my camera with me to take pictures of everything!

What other artists or movements inform your work?

There are so many! I have always loved Monet, Childe Hassam, and Mary Cassatt. I am a huge fan of John Singer Sargent. I follow several contemporary artists on the internet - all of which have been an enormous inspiration for me - Karin Jurick, James Neil Hollingsworth, Michael Naples, and Jeff Hayes. I am a big fan of the daily painting movement and follow several daily painters. I follow several EBSQ artists in the forums and through their blogs....way to many to list.

How do you know when a piece you're working on is done?

I have always asked my daughters, they are my best and most harsh critics - they are the ones that say "stop Mom before you mess it up". It is very difficult to rely on my own judgement. I always think I can do just a bit better.

What do you find stimulating right now?

Light and color. I am fascinated how light can add drama to a painting, even the smallest accent of light. I love color and the subtle color changes that are often overlooked and taken for granted.

How does this influence your creative process?

I often paint the same composition using different lighting and color combinations. It is helping with my very limited imagination. I always carry a camera with me, just in case I come upon some random object with just the right light to paint later. Yes, I am the one taking pictures in the mall, in bakeries, on the street, and on the train. The farmers market is fabulous when it is not too crowded!

What brought you to EBSQ?

I started selling my paintings on eBay in 2005. I noticed several artists used the EBSQ auction template and logo in their listings. I checked out the EBSQ website and joined immediately. There are not enough words or time to express all I have learned and absorbed from EBSQ. I use almost every feature available. I have counters on all my listings to record hits to track the popularity of listings. I use the templates for my auctions. I use image hosting for other websites. The hotmail conversion is fabulous. The forums are full of valuable information for any artist. The artist friends I have met through the website and follow through their blogs and social networks. I am addicted to EBSQ!

What are some of your artistic goals for the future?

My biggest artistic goal is still my original goal...to put what I see in my head successfully on canvas to my satisfaction. I have come close on several occasions, but I am not quite there-- but I am having the time of my life with the effort.

What would you like your fellow EBSQ artists and our collectors to know about you and/or your work?

I am painting as fast as I can. I feel like I started so late! There are so many paintings to create and so little time.

I am so flattered and honored when I collector purchases one of my paintings to add to their collection. It is quite overwhelming to think someone wants to look at something you have created everyday. I have sent over 350 paintings off into the world. It was nice to see them find a new home, but a little sad to part with each one of them.

Notes on the works included:

Old Man is one of my first paintings. I signed it with my "real" name (Victoria) that I used briefly to sign my painting in 2001 and 2002

Green Apple Martini - My favorite martini painting, this one will remain with me

Martini Stirred - The first of the endless martini paintings.

My Favorite Pear - This is one of my favorite pear paintings

Pear VII- Small pear painting, I have painted numerous times in various colors

Flow Blue and Lemons - The painting I wished I had kept...it is one of my favorites