Q: Your subject matter is primarily organic food items; how does an idea actually materialize into a painting?

A: I start with an idea using a particular food, then I go out to my local supermarket and scout for my subjects. They give themselves willingly, are rarely shy about disrobing, and rarely complain about the long hours under hot lights. The only problem using perishable items such as fruit and vegetables is that they have a very limited shelf life.

Q: Are there other themes that you've explored, which might have helped lead you to your present work?

A: I have previously worked with other themes over the course of my interest in art. These include a Mother and Child sequence, American Indian themes, fabric art, Chinese painting and serigraphy and printmaking in general - I don't know that they have lead me to my interest with food as subject matter, but they have helped me to mature as an artist. Fruit is much more non-confrontational.  I'm looking a doing a piece call "the push" about an

artist accused of pushing his artist wife out the window.  I'm using a cucumber and a pear to protect the innocent...

Q: Were you raised in the country?

A: No, I am Brooklyn born and bred; my interest in food comes from being the provider of meals for my family of four. Fruits and Vegetables are art forms onto themselves; they need no fancy packaging, because they already have it! What is the most eye catching storefront in the city? It may be the flower stand, or the produce market with its colorful display of food, catching your eye from far away.

Q: Other predominant themes in your work are family ties, and humor. Describe some of the ways you have fostered these relationships and values in your own life.

A: I find that humor is important in one's life to keep the more serious dilemmas in check. Some of the more serious themes I have explored in my family come from real family and personal situations that I have experienced, both good and bad.

Q: You spent some time in Hong Kong studying calligraphy; what are some of the lasting imprints of those experiences, and how do they affect your work today?

A: Actually, I studied calligraphy in Montreal after learning an interest in Chinese art in Hong Kong. The most important lesson that you learn in calligraphy is discipline - the fluidity of line, the importance of the stroke (or as my instructor would say, the bone), and most of all the beauty of Chinese Poetry. I incorporate words into my artwork, so in my own way this is my updated calligraphy.

Q: In your artist's statement, you mentioned the role of women and the "unsung" creativity that occurs is a traditional household ie: the kitchen; is there a long line of artists, particularly women, in your family?

A: My sister, father, and maternal grandmother studied art. My grandfather was a very skilled carpenter, while my sister is also an exhibiting artist. My grandmother gave up art after she got married, which I found regrettable. You should never give up on your art for any reason. I must also mention my daughter, who now lives in Vancouver attending UBC. She was recently a featured 'gifted teen' at the Arts Umbrella on Granville island.…Cooking is an art form too, but obviously it’s gone before the day is through!

Q: Can you describe the impact which your involvement with the Animatic Art Movement has had on your painting?

A: My involvement with the Animatic Art Movement has been to raise my awareness of my role in the big picture of life. I really do want to share my artwork with others and I have a strong desire to create. This agrees with the movement as being a force that is bigger than us, we are merely the conveyors of positive energy on this planet.

Q: What lies ahead for you as a painter?

A: I'm now exploring digital art.  Instead of painting fruit I lay them on the scanner, or photograph them, and then incorporate fonts and backgrounds.  I want to just keep on (the fruit and vegetable) theme for a while, because the source of inspiration for it is endless. I want to incorporate other kitchen utensils into the themes and also use the decorative approach in the composition. A recent work was the "Complexity of Cutlery" which was a simple spoon arrangement. This didn't have any deep meaning, it was just a study in design. I'm also exploring clayboard and colored pencil/tempera since I was getting frustrated by computer problems! Currently I’m exhibiting at NASHAWANNUCK GALLERY in Easthampton, sharing the gallery with my sister and some other friends.  This is my very first "Sister" show.