I am painting! Yes, after spending many years teaching young artists in my community, a true privilege, I now have the time to be both an artist and an art educator. During the last several years, I have been studying with local professional artists while exploring my own style, techniques and composition.  Currently, I am working in a larger, cropped format with an emphasis on color and expression which is an exciting challenge. I choose calla lilies as the focus of my mask because they symbolize purity and are associated with beginnings and endings. The warm colors of the flowers in contrast to the bright blue background remind us of the beauty of life in Colorado.