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Biography
My passion for art was ignited in childhood when six dedicated homemakers—fresh from training at the Toledo Museum of Art—visited my elementary school. Among them was my mother. They introduced me to masters such as Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, James McNeill Whistler, and Winslow Homer, sharing the stories, techniques, and historical influences behind their work. From that moment forward, I knew I was meant to be an artist.
As my artistic interests developed, I brought these passions together as an editorial cartoonist, with work published in the Findlay Courier, The Blade, the BGSU News, and the UT Collegian. In 1984, I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts from Bowling Green State University, combining majors in Life Drawing and Painting with studies in Political Science and History.
Following graduation, I built a successful career in advertising and marketing while raising a family and coaching varsity soccer. Though professional and family life took priority for many years, the desire to paint never left me.
Now in retirement, I have returned fully to my lifelong calling as a working artist. Inspired by family vacations along the beaches of Northern Michigan—where I first captured scenes through photography—I create landscapes that reflect the gratitude, peace, and joy I’ve gathered throughout my life.
I am also color blind, a perspective that profoundly shapes my work. Rather than focusing primarily on hue, I am drawn to value, contrast, composition, and light. This way of seeing has strengthened my attention to structure and emotion, allowing me to express feeling beyond color alone.
Today, I am honored to serve as President of the Toledo Artists’ Club, supporting and promoting fellow artists in our community while continuing to grow in my own practice. My early work was bold and provocative, driven by strong opinions and youthful intensity. In this new chapter, my paintings celebrate fulfillment, reflection, and the beauty of everyday moments—inviting others to share in the joy I find through art.
Best in Show - Oswego West Pierced by Michael Hill
The composition centers the lighthouse as a quiet monument, by use of strong vertical lines against a wide, open horizon to emphasize isolation and stability. A restrained palette of blues and earth tones creates harmony, while the red roofs provide just enough contrast to draw the eye. Subtle texture and light handling suggest age and exposure, giving the structure a sense of history and defiance.
First Place - Fading Lights by Teri Lee
The painting’s strongest asset is its striking color contrast, with vivid reds and purples set against a soft, glowing sky that draws the eye immediately to the floral focal points. The vertical rhythm of the stems creates a natural sense of movement and depth, guiding the viewer upward while maintaining a loose, organic balance. Additionally, the atmospheric transition in the sky combined with layered foreground detail gives the piece a compelling sense of time and place, evoking a calm, late-day mood.FIRST PLACE
Second Place - Flower Thistle by Monica Birsen
This watercolor captures delicate pink thistle-like blooms emerging softly from a muted, atmospheric background, creating a sense of quiet resilience. The loose, diffused washes contrast beautifully with the more defined stems and petals, guiding the eye upward through the composition. Its subdued palette and misty depth evoke a calm, almost nostalgic mood, as if the flowers are suspended in early morning fog.
Third Place - The Way Out by Susan Horvath
The watercolor bursts with saturated, high-contrast colors, creating a lively, almost chaotic energy that draws the eye across the composition. Organic shapes—resembling fruit, leaves, and flowing water—intertwine, suggesting a balance between natural forms and abstraction. Layered textures and fluid transitions give the piece a sense of motion, as if the elements are constantly shifting and evolving.
