Artist Statement

Favorite People Series

This series was started in 2010 while taking a figure drawing class at Diablo Valley College. The final assignment was a life size figure. I am a regular at Oakwood Athletic Club and have met many interesting people there. Lots of my friendships have developed in the pleasant exchanges of the locker room and that’s where I found my first subject. Anna Marie Lininger, a Lafayette resident and fellow artist (she did amazing Ukrainian eggs) and daily swimmer, offered herself as my model. I painted two views of Anna Marie with gouache on paper for the assignment and decided that I would like to do a more permanent version in acrylic on linen. Then her husband, Richard, caught my eye in his speedo and red crocks and the series emerged. I’m sad to say that both Richard and Anna Marie have passed on. However, I feel blessed that I had a chance to know and love them. All subjects are members or instructors at Oakwood with the exception of my two grown daughters.

I chose my models because every one of them is a multi-faceted person. In my paintings I attempt to display the person’s character and sometimes evoke a bit of humor. I want my images to tell a story about the person in addition to catching a likeness. I hope the viewer wants to meet and get to know my model. All of these paintings are acrylic on linen.

Anna Marie Lininger was a retired teacher, artist and art collector. She was a Lafayette resident and daily swimmer at Oakwood Athletic Club. She was the sage of the locker room. Anna Marie died in 2017.

Richard Lininger was a retired psychiatrist and artist. At 90, he frequented Oakwood and set an example of how to communicate and live a full life. He died in 2016.

Tom Paige is an Orinda resident and retired physician who has had both his knees replaced. His portrait portrays him mid-surgeries, with one knee replaced and the other one on the way to the operating room.

Brett Anne & Kelly Balamuth are my daughters. Brett Anne is a Wildlife Biologist and Kelly is an Attorney at Law and mother to my three grandchildren. They are both central to my life and make me very happy to be their mother.

James Lambert is a Culinary Arts Instructor at Laney College, a chef, and spin instructor at Oakwood Athletic Club and Claremont Hotel Club & Spa.

Veera is a certified Hatha Yoga teacher and a certified Infant Massage (FHFL) instructor. She teaches Yoga at Oakwood Athletic Club and Orinda Community Center. She is an inspiration!

 

Coach Dick – Richard Jacobberger is a Lafayette resident who was raised in Berkeley and a graduate of BHS and U.C. Berkeley. He is retired from a career in Transportation Management/Logistics. He has been a competitive swimmer all his life and holds All-American records. Dick has been a swim instructor and the Masters Swim Team Coach at Oakwood Athletic Club since 1999.

Christmas, Marsha, Tucker & Sarah – Marsha Welsh is a Lafayette resident, avid biker, and a Corporate Accountant. She raises chickens and owns two dogs and two cats. Christmas, the rooster in the painting, was born on Christmas Day. She attends Oakwood Athletic Club regularly and is one of my best exercise buddies.