b'What are your memories of being excited about art as a child?What was your biggest goal as a young artist? When I was five years old, a relative who was an artist brought me a box of oilMy goal as a young artist was to see everything I could see.paint from Paris and I found it absolutely thrilling. I also have a very clear memoryIn retrospect, what was a misconception you once had about being an artist? of excitement seeing Picassos work for the first time at Knoedler Gallery when IMy greatest misconception was thinking I had to be as good as the old masters. was about fourteen. How would you describe the relationship between you and your imaginationWhen I studied with Mauricio Lasansky, one of the most important things heTo be the I was alwaysas a child?taught me was, Dont make masterpieces. Looking back, what was it you felt you needed to learn to become the artist I was always trying to put the image that was in my mind onto a piece of paper.that you wanted to be?artist I trying to putWhat is special about the place where you grew up?To be the artist I wanted to be, I felt I needed to be trained as a master printer.I grew up in Dubuque, Iowa, which is situated on the hills overlooking the Missis- What rules did you break as an art student?wanted to be, the imagesippi River and its beauty was inspiring. When I was at Iowa University, the art building was locked at night and on the Is there a special teacher that you remember from your childhood? If so,weekends. My classmates and I would crawl in the window to get to the etching what was it about her or him that was special to you?studio and work.I felt I needed that was inI would say I had three special teachers. Dorothy Bechtel and Sister Mary James AnnHow did starting a family with your husband influence your journey as an were art teachers in Dubuque. The other was my Uncle Abel (Buck) Warshawsky,artist?to be trained my mind ontowith whom I studied during summer vacations.Each taught me their individualThere were children to paint. There was a spouse to paint. All ready models!specialties: Dorothythe plein air water color study; Sister Mary James Annconveying a story; and Buckthe range of oil paint techniques. All three wereDid becoming a mother expand your experience as an artist? Was it a chal- as a master a piece ofgreat teachers, and I cherish the opportunity I had to have studied with them.lenge being a mother and an artist at the same time? The children added so much richness to my life. The real challenge might have What is one of the first things that you remember disagreeing with as a teen- been for them to have an artist as a mother. printer.paper.ager?Do you feel that art helps you overcome challenges in your life? As a teenager, I questioned the political system. I believed that people had worth regardless of their economic situation, which led me to become interested inAbsolutely. It takes me out of myselfand has given me endless joy.Marxism.If you look at Central Park as the worlds stage and you as one of its players, How did your interest in the arts manifest?what part do you think you play? It manifested in my being an artist at an early age.Well, Im the voyeur, arent I?What do you remember about falling in love for the first time?What does painting on such a large scale give you that you cant achieve Of course there are passions, but for me, the first time I experienced overwhelm- from painting on a small scale? ing love is when I had my children.The reason I opted for large canvases was because I wanted to tell a saga, but didnt want to lose the detail the hands, the eyelashes, the mouths, the earrings, the tears in the blue jeans, the relationship between a man and his dog, two lov-ers, and a family all needed space.8 9'