I was encouraged to explore its forested
hills, claiming the trees as allies and
finding comfort in Nature.
In my early adulthood, I moved to
Canada and experienced the diverse
cultures of British Columbia,
Nova Scotia and Quebec.
I attended classes in drawing and painting
at the Nova Scotia School of Art and Design
and John Abbott College in Montreal.
The abundant variety of Canadian
regional landscape taught me a
profound appreciation for the vast
beauty, diversity and wildness of nature.
The natural landscape became the subject of my paintings, my “artist’s
model,”muse and teacher. The consistent theme running through my
varied landscapes is the play of color—the shifting light and atmosphere
of nature give me endless possibilities of exploring color's dynamics.
Landscape painting gave me the opportunity to indulge my love of the
outdoors and my need to respond, with paint or pencil, to the beauty
and mystery of life.
Working in a studio setting has enabled me to work larger than
the size limits imposed by working outdoors and to explore an increasingly
more personal approach to my painting or pastel subjects.
Currently, my explorations have led me in the direction of pure abstraction.
An exciting focus...
Public Collections
Marin Academy Library, San Rafael CA
Publications
Spirit of Drawing; Spirit of Color, Connie Smith Siegel
Associations
Marin Arts Council
The National League of American Pen Women, NLAPW Golden Gate-Marin
Workshops
Drawing and color with Connie Smith Siegel
Painting with Chester Arnold, Mel Adamson, Mark Grieve, Bernard Healey, and Michael Azgour
Formal education
College of Marin, Kentfield, CA (Painting)
California College of Arts & Crafts, Oakland, CA (Graphic Design)
City College of San Francisco (Professional Art)
John Abbott College, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Fine Art)
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (Painting)