Art in some form has always been part of my identity. Whether it be clay, fiber or paint, I feel called to create. My undergraduate degree is in Psychology and Fine Arts. While I pursued psychology in graduate school and as a career I have always taken classes and practiced art forms as an avocation. After retiring from my psychotherapy practice, my husband and I fulfilled our dream of moving from NJ to Maine where we had vacationed for over 30 years. I often take the opportunity to plein air watercolor sketch as we hike the woodlands and mountains and paddle the lakes, soaking up inspiration. I began painting in earnest in 2020. My pandemic silver lining was having the time to paint from my heart and fall in love with the wonder of watercolor. I am energized by the flow, unpredictability and challenge of watercolor. Experimentation and play are essential to my painting process. My work is rooted in the exploration of the external landscape and my own inner landscape. The beauty of the natural world is my muse, leading me on a journey of discovery and imagination. When painting a scene I strive to convey its beauty as well as the feelings it evokes for me. While I may begin painting a scene in a representational way, in subsequent versions my focus moves inward, sometimes simplifying, sometimes becoming abstract. From my inner landscape, dream images and memories also take the form of abstraction as I allow these impressions to flow through my brush, intuitively making marks and creating art. My work is in numerous private collections and also available at Jackson Art studio and Gallery, Jackson, NH. celesteflemingart@gmail.com www.celesteflemingart.com www.Instagram.com/celesteflemingart www.facebook.com/Celeste-Fleming-Art-107838544872982