Jo Kramer

March 2018

My lifelong love of travel and the beauty of nature has fit well with my interest in painting that developed after I retired.  I had dabbled a little in art work and oils years ago  but didn’t keep at it. We lived most of our life in the Redwood Empire and the wild northern Pacific Coast before moving to the Sonoran Desert twenty-four years ago.  In Tucson I registered for an OASIS adult education class in pastels in 2005 and enjoyed it.  (Cheryl Bullard was in that class which was taught by artists Peg Allen and the late Dale Allen.)  I kept on weekly for five years when the class ended.  I love the vivid colors of pastels and the many choices of papers and sticks—lots to experiment with!  Fortunately I found the Tucson Pastel Society starting to hold meetings at the Jewish Community Center. 
 
As an amateur hobbyist I use my photos as reference.  Since my husband had worked as a naturalist I was used to looking at flora and fauna in great detail—something of a hindrance for trying to be impressionistic.  Landscapes and flowers are my favorite subjects and I enjoy painting old buildings and historic sites as well.  Taking a plein air class with Meredith trained me to speed up and paint on site to “catch the light”.  But I need to practice more and more and forgo other hobbies and interests. 
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We enjoy driving to Albuquerque to attend the IAPS conference every other year, meeting artists from all over the world, seeing their works, and taking classes.  The TPS has been a treasure trove of information and opportunity for us artists and has been an impetus for me to continue painting and try to improve my ability.    

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