Art for a Cause
Volunteer service has been central to my life. Over the years, I have served as treasurer of The Museum Society at the University of Tampa, chaired The Lupus Foundation of America’s National Board of Directors, and served as president of The Junior League of Tampa. I've held leadership advisory positions with the United Way, the Children’s Board of Tampa, the Gasparilla Distance, and am a current member of the Board of Directors for Mary Lee’s House, a child protection and advocacy center.
Volunteer work has enlightened my mind, nourished my spirit, and filled my heart with gratitude.
Tapestry of Love
and Light
$450
50% of the sales price of this painting will be donated to the Lupus Foundation of America.
Tapestry of Love and Light (20 x 20" acrylic on canvas)
50% of the sales price of this painting was donated
to the Lupus Foundation of America. (SOLD)
Supporting Nonprofits
In addition to my "boots on the ground" volunteer work, I find joy in the marriage of my love of service and my love of art by donating artwork or a percentage of sales in support of worthy nonprofit organizations. Fundraising is crucial in order for nonprofit organizations to continue their work, meet the goals of their missions, and improve lives and communities. As a former nonprofit board chair, I've seen firsthand both the enormous amount of work that goes into fundraising as well as the extraordinary generosity of supporters.
Among the nonprofit organizations I support is the Lupus Foundation of America. Half of the sales price of the painting at right was donated to their Walk to End Lupus Now campaign.
Art for Healing
Hanging on the walls of Tampa General Hospital's Infusion Center, Peaceful View, Quiet Evening and Calm Surroundings are three large paintings I donated to the hospital in hopes of brightening the treatment cubicles and spirits of fellow patients like me as they sit—often for the better part of a day—receiving intravenous infusion care.
Peaceful View (36 x 36" acrylic on canvas)
Donated to Tampa General Hospital
(Above) Peaceful View hanging in one of the windowless patient treatment bays at Tampa General Hospital's Infusion Center along with a small plaque identifying me as both patient and artist.
Calm Surroundings (36 x 48" acrylic on canvas)
Donated to Tampa General Hospital
Quiet Evening (30 x 40" acrylic on canvas)
Donated to Tampa General Hospital
Art for Children
Mary Lee's House 2020 annual greeting card.
Hover over image to view card interior.
It was an honor to be asked by Mary Lee’s House-The Center for Child Protection and Advocacy to paint the above image for their 2020 annual holiday greeting card.
Remember the Children (12 x 16" acrylic on canvas)
Donated to Mary Lee's House for Child Abuse Awareness Month
Remember the Children: In creating this donated painting, I incorporated the symbol for child abuse prevention (the pinwheel) and elephants—since they never forget.
May 20, 2022 Benefit Auction
In early 2022, staff at Mary Lee’s House-The Center for Child Protection and Advocacy in Tampa provided me with a child’s painting (taped to the top of my easel, below) and asked that I create my own interpretation of it. The painting was auctioned on May 20, 2022 at the Farm to Table(aux) fundraising event.
Untitled (24 x 36" acrylic on canvas)
Donated to Mary Lee's House
Art for Your Unsinkable Spirit
VIDEO: Delivering the opening Keynote at the 2015 Scleroderma Foundation National Patient Education Conference in Nashville, TN.
The entirety of my professional and volunteer work has been on the topic of resilience. I've lived most of my adult life with the autoimmune disease lupus and have applied, as best I could, the resiliency skills I've taught to others.
It was not until my husband was diagnosed with cancer, my father developed kidney disease and later died, and the pandemic hit that I pivoted from teaching and speaking to the art I love.
Painting became a sanctuary for me and I learned more about building deep and long lasting resiliency than I believed was possible.
Above is an example of one of the many keynotes I've delivered on the topic of resilience. I hope you enjoy my website and the art I now use to build lifelong resiliency!