Art Created in Boston

While attending the University of Massachusetts Boston I worked a variety of jobs to pay my bills. I sold power tools through cold calling customers, worked as a nurses aide in several nursing facilities and worked as a waitress for Howard Johnson's. I moved around a lot in the Boston area so my stomping grounds included living in Brookline, Brighton and Dorchestor. Each living and working situation offered opportunities to create art for me.

My roommates were often interesting and creative individuals. We encouraged and supported one another be it writing, music, photography or painting along with sharing rent and utility bills.

I loved the room I had in a top floor flat in Brookline. On sunny days light poured in giving my hanging plants the light they craved and warmed up my room.

A small walkout porch was off my room so I'd sit and read, draw, or just hang out there. It offered a great view of the street and buildings in the area. The pen and ink drawing below was done sitting outside and viewing the house across the street. A snap shot of a view I saw for about a year.

This sketch was done in about five minutes because my friend didn't want to sit very long. Despite the brief time I had to capture him I was happy with the end result.

A high school art teacher of mine used to have us speed draw our fellow classmates in two minute, one minute and thirty second poses. It was a pressured way to draw, but an interesting way to capture a brief pose. In this particular situation my past experience with drawing quickly came in handy.

Hanging out on the back porch of the three story flat was a great place to kick back and relax with a good book, newspaper, and a bottle of wine. My roommates and I were either attending school full or part-time and all of us worked long hours at our various jobs to cover rent and to pay other bills. Coming home to this cozy porch was a real treat for all of us.

I painted the wine bottle with shells on that porch along with my feet in blue strapped sandals and a yellow skirt. The sketch of my roommate sunken into a well worn leather chair was also done there.