Artist Statement:

I make landscape and seascape paintings based on close observation of the natural world, and occasionally still life and portrait studies. I work in oil and soft pastel, using each for its distinct qualities. Oil builds depth and atmosphere through layered color. Drawn to its vibrancy and immediacy, soft pastel lets me build color quickly and intuitively.

My process begins with observation and continues in the studio through memory and reference, where I translate experience into paint. I pay attention to how light moves, color shifts, and forms appear and dissolve over time. I’m less interested in describing a specific place than in conveying the experience of being there.

I think of the landscape as a sanctuary. It feels sacred to me, shaping how I approach the work. Through representational work, I aim for paintings to stay open, allowing space for looking rather than fixed interpretation.

About:

Williams delights in her dual roles as a professional fine artist and longtime art educator, having taught for nearly twenty-five years. Her earliest joyful painting memory was at the easel in preschool. Growing up surrounded by museums, galleries, and public art, she cultivated a lifelong love of creating. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Arts, and is a juried Signature Member of the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) and the Pastel Society of the West Coast (PSWC), as well as an Associate Member of the Pastel Society of America (PSA) and California Art Club (CAC). Over the years, her work has received numerous awards, been exhibited in galleries, museums, and online, appeared in print, and entered private collections through commissions and individual sales. Residing in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and daughter, she enjoys hiking with her family when not making art.