​"Carrie Tasman became my favorite Northwest artist. 
Her dogs are my dogs, her scenery is in my heart!"
Picture
Carrie demonstrating how big these peony blossoms are!!! ...wanna paint them!
When I look at our painting of Gus and Maron  I just smile! It’s a beautiful piece of art and they were a beautiful pair of dogs! Carrie captured not just their physical presence but also their spirits! This painting brings gives me joy every day!

Wonder what kind of supplies I use?

Here are the things I use everyday to make art!
  • Graham and Daniel Smith Acylic Paints, love the consistency and high pigment load of both of these brands
  • Cheap brushes from Michaels - I've bought expensive brushes, and I like these just as much. They wear out in about a year, and I replace them!
  • the best wooden boards to paint on! American Easel.
  • Blick Disposable Palettes
  • Cheap towels from goodwill cut into squares for cleaning my brushes as I work
  • Organic Guatemalan coffee from Sunnyside Up in Corvallis, THE BEST! Sunnyside has closed! Phew! we can still by Pacifica coffee at the First Alternative Co-op.
  • Epson Sure Color Scanner.
  • Epson Sure Color P600 archival printer Great print quality, archival inks. 
  • Acryla-Miser Palette - I lay out my palette once every week or so. This palette enables me to keep a nice blob of acrylic hydrated and usable for up to about 2 weeks. I usually use the paint up by then, and switch everything out. Clean well when changing out the colors.

My Artist's Statement

My art is a garden and I am an artist with two green thumbs, a creative and eccentric vintner of beauty. I use nutrients, growing techniques, and tools that I've learned to make my art flourish. I have become familiar with my particular "terroir", my inner geography and climate, that drive my personal aesthetic. From The Mystery (life force, God, possibility, whatever you prefer to call it) come the seeds of ideas. My passion is to plant these seeds and venture out into the mountains and wild skies of my inner landscape, listen to the tugging and whispers of my intuition, and tend to my creative life. There is nothing more satisfying (occasionally terrifying, sometimes extremely frustrating) than setting off into the unknown and have a finished painting reveal itself over time.  In  my  studio, contradictions are allowed, paradox reigns, and reason is abandoned. Each I head into my studio to see what new "flower"  has opened, delighting me in some way. My muses are Matisse, my flower garden and my dog Chamois. I live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. I show in several NW galleries, and make the rounds in the NW outdoor art fair circuit.

Some FAQs About Moi

  • Is being an artist a real job? Darn right it is, I work harder than I ever have in my life! There are so many things to do, creating art is just one part of my job, there's marketing, social media, printing cards and prints, shipping, not to mention applying for shows then getting ready for them!
  • Can it dangerous to be an artist? Yes, one of the dangers is the sheer amount of cool tools to do my craft with. I am addicted to art supplies. My list of favorite art supplies is to the left.
  • Where do you show your work? Pretty much in the Pacific Northwest at outdoor art fairs and three galleries. I have traveled as far south as Palm Desert, and as far east as Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  I also have painted commissions for a wonderful woman who lives in Paris and for an Australian couple! Here's  a list of my shows past and present!
  • Do you have a degree? I do, I studied Fine Art in Minneapolis and in Oregon, and completed my Bachelors in Fine Art degree from Oregon State University (received a scholarship too).
  • What is your favorite color? My nephews always ask me that...I can never decide. Today it is a light greenish teal, but I have a feeling tomorrow it will be magenta.
  • Anything super interesting about besides being an awesome artist? I am from a family of twelve. That is twelve siblings, same Mom and Dad, yes, we were raised catholic.
  • What is your sign? I am a Virgo.