Happy 2021! So glad to be here, still posting images of new art and blogging about it.

I had the opportunity in 2020 to create a community service project that I could donate to the Boulder County, where I am based in Colorado. I decided to make a painting and I chose to paint a portrait of Mary Rippon, an important person in the Boulder lore, who was part of the early days of this fair city.

Mary Rippon was the first female professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder and one of the first women to teach at a state university. In 1878, she taught German and English there. She lead a quietly remarkable life, forced to choose between her career and having a family. She is an icon of the early pioneers of Boulder. The Mary Rippon Outdoor Theater—home to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival—is named in her honor.

Once I learn where the painting will be displayed, I will share the information. Thank you for your visit!