Mono Art Bio 2021
I am a self-taught painter from Seattle WA. I would describe my art as dreamy surrealism with a splash of dark pop. Each piece is personal and has a story, although many are spontaneous abstract thoughts. I pull ideas from sketches
or reference photographs collected from traveling. I stay true to creating oil paintings that are uniquely personal colorful dark designs.
I remember drawing and listening to music as a child. My father had a huge record collection from rock, ambient, singing whales, and much more. I would pick out a record and listen closely, read the lyrics and study the album art work. That’s when he started calling me Mono, because I loved his stereo. So, I sign my work Mono.
I grew up drawing and watching family members making their art and it just stuck with me. My Great-Grandmother
Jo Snider of Whidbey Is. WA was an oil painter who painted the sea, birds, flowers, still life, mountains, and garden scenes. She gave me lessons on how to use oils and we painted together starting around 10 years old. She took me to her local Greenbank WA oil painting classes. Her artwork is in homes all over the Puget Sound. She was a huge influence for me.
At 19 I attended the School of Visual Concepts in Seattle for a short period, but long enough to really give me the art bug permanently. I had an oil class where we focused on figure drawing and exploring abstract art, then went into stretching and prepping our own canvas.
My Aunt Brenda and Uncle Bob Pepper were very talented illustrators from Brooklyn, NY. Their art was used on book covers, album covers, cards, games, magazines, etc. One famous game my uncle designed was the artwork for the 1979 game Dark Tower. I always looked up to them and they wrote me letters encouraging me and gave me advice.
On Friday May 1st 1992, I lost everything in an apartment fire. The Rodney King Riots where in full force in Seattle and my apartment was hit with a Molotov cocktail while I was at the Rock Candy venue watching the band Red Cross. I ended up needing the local Red Cross for help afterwards. I lived on Summit and John on Capitol Hill and worked in the salon below my apartment. I lost my home, my job and all my art work from childhood drawings to framed work. A local punk band called Sore Jackson did a benefit show for me at The Store Room and gave me the proceeds to help me
get back on my feet.
After leaving Seattle in 92 I have raised 2 sons, co-owned and ran several restaurants (with ex-husband Chef), bars, and sold art through our cafe in SW Montana. I have relocated to Phoenix Arizona where I continue to paint.
I am a self-taught painter from Seattle WA. I would describe my art as dreamy surrealism with a splash of dark pop. Each piece is personal and has a story, although many are spontaneous abstract thoughts. I pull ideas from sketches
or reference photographs collected from traveling. I stay true to creating oil paintings that are uniquely personal colorful dark designs.
I remember drawing and listening to music as a child. My father had a huge record collection from rock, ambient, singing whales, and much more. I would pick out a record and listen closely, read the lyrics and study the album art work. That’s when he started calling me Mono, because I loved his stereo. So, I sign my work Mono.
I grew up drawing and watching family members making their art and it just stuck with me. My Great-Grandmother
Jo Snider of Whidbey Is. WA was an oil painter who painted the sea, birds, flowers, still life, mountains, and garden scenes. She gave me lessons on how to use oils and we painted together starting around 10 years old. She took me to her local Greenbank WA oil painting classes. Her artwork is in homes all over the Puget Sound. She was a huge influence for me.
At 19 I attended the School of Visual Concepts in Seattle for a short period, but long enough to really give me the art bug permanently. I had an oil class where we focused on figure drawing and exploring abstract art, then went into stretching and prepping our own canvas.
My Aunt Brenda and Uncle Bob Pepper were very talented illustrators from Brooklyn, NY. Their art was used on book covers, album covers, cards, games, magazines, etc. One famous game my uncle designed was the artwork for the 1979 game Dark Tower. I always looked up to them and they wrote me letters encouraging me and gave me advice.
On Friday May 1st 1992, I lost everything in an apartment fire. The Rodney King Riots where in full force in Seattle and my apartment was hit with a Molotov cocktail while I was at the Rock Candy venue watching the band Red Cross. I ended up needing the local Red Cross for help afterwards. I lived on Summit and John on Capitol Hill and worked in the salon below my apartment. I lost my home, my job and all my art work from childhood drawings to framed work. A local punk band called Sore Jackson did a benefit show for me at The Store Room and gave me the proceeds to help me
get back on my feet.
After leaving Seattle in 92 I have raised 2 sons, co-owned and ran several restaurants (with ex-husband Chef), bars, and sold art through our cafe in SW Montana. I have relocated to Phoenix Arizona where I continue to paint.
