Early Years as Teacher and Counselor
Germaine's life-long commitment to help children and young adults realize their dreams and achieve their goals was evidenced by the thirty-two years she devoted to teaching and counseling teenagers. She earned a B.A. in Humanities and a M. Ed. In Education, but it was her love of the arts that became the compelling force in her life.
As her innate skills grew and became more widely recognized, her popularity and commissions grew along with them. While specializing in painting portraits of homes, pets and sites of special events, Germaine's artistic expression evolved into a style which is uniquely her own.
Developing her Watercolor Style
Now retired from Education, Germaine is painting full time, broadening both her subject matter and her popularity. She has found the challenge of human portraiture to be exciting and creatively rewarding, and samples of this discipline have become a major portion of her portfolio.
Germaine begins each painting by first photographing the subject in the proper light. Lighting is as critical to the success of the painting as the personality of her subject and her own personal connection with it. Sometimes Germaine will paint with the paper upside-down-so as not to be distracted by the image-and will then enhance light and form in order to dramatize the finished painting.
Watercolor Painting as an Adventure
Germaine believes that watercolor has a purity and transparency that can lead to an adventure in art which is entertaining and challenging at the same time. Each painting is a new lesson on an exciting journey where water, color and technique can take you. There is an element of surprise in each experience.
Painting in Harford County as well as around the World
Although living in Harford County, Maryland offers an artist a plethora of resources including rolling, undeveloped hills, connected farms, state parks and numerous waterways, Germaine enjoys traveling and taking advantage of opportunities to see and capture the beauty offered by other cultures and surroundings.
Associations
Germaine is an Associate Member of the American Watercolor Society, a signature member of the Baltimore Watercolor Society, and a member of The Harford Artists' Association, Inc., Harford County, Maryland.