Becky’s love of art began as a child. Her mother, who was quite a talented artist herself, encouraged her children to experiment and create. Becky spent hours inventing and drawing cartoon characters. Much of her knowledge came from studying comic books, especially Veronica and Archie. Later, Becky took art in high school where she won a trip to Washington, D.C. for her drawing of a fashion model. She started out in West Virginia University as a studio art major, but switched to English literature after transferring to a small college with limited art offerings. Over the years she has incorporated her artistic know how into her teaching and parenting, but only became immersed in the arts again through her summers at Northeastern California Arts Project.

She became a strong advocate for the arts and was instrumental in the adoption of an art program in Plumas Unified School District. She worked as an art consultant with the Plumas Arts Commission, and eventually was able to move to Chester High School to teach junior high art and high school English. As time allowed, she enrolled in Sara Broderick’s drawing class and Jacquie Cordova’s painting class, and started getting serious about pursuing her interest. She passed her California arts credential test this year and is looking forward to moving from junior high to senior high art instruction. “Making time for art has been challenging. I enjoy painting and drawing so much that I almost feel guilty about neglecting other, more mundane pursuits - like housework. Luckily, my husband has been very supportive.”

About her choice of subjects and media, Becky says, “I love drawing people, especially women and children, but the transition into watercolor has been a challenge: It is a very unforgiving medium, but I am learning to adapt. I still like to retreat to the exactness of pencil from time to time, and I love Prismacolor colored pencils and acrylics. Actually, I love it all. I keep experimenting with subject matter, media, and styles. Sometimes I hit, and sometimes I don’t, but it is the journey that counts. It’s a very exciting path to be traveling.”