As a plein air painter, my focus is on the quality of the light (influenced by the season, weather, time of day) and how it affects the elements in the landscape.  The impermanence of the scene – the impossibility to revisit that precise moment – makes every painting experience unique.

I am inspired by nature and drawn to a subject by the emotions evoked by the scene, often linked to memories of past experiences. Composition, color, and light are all important elements in my paintings.

My subjects include barns, farm animals, fields and forests of Central Pennsylvania, wetlands and seascapes, medieval cityscapes, and vineyards.  Having lived in France during various parts of my adult life, most recently from 2012-2014, I have created many paintings of my experiences there.

Oil paints and watercolors are my primary media, but I also use pen and ink, and pastel, depending on the subject.  Lately many of my paintings have been in oil as I enjoy the lush color and flexibility oil paint allows.  For some oil paintings I use the palette knife exclusively, laying the paint on boards with rich texture.   Other oils are created by layering with brushwork for delicate glazes or by combining brushwork with palette knife work.

Painting is a joyful and essential experience for me.   In addition to the energy and inspiration it gives me, I find tremendous satisfaction when a painting resonates with a viewer through a shared memory or experience.   When I’m asked if it is hard to part with my work, I reply that the people who buy my work share my respect for nature and are thus people with whom I feel a certain connection.

Biography
A life-long resident of Pennsylvania, Simonne has been painting outdoors since she was a child.  She finds tremendous enjoyment in the process of painting and in sharing her work with others.

From her parents, both mathematicians, she acquired a sense of order and a love of learning.  Her Quebecois father raised her with an appreciation of all things French, including the impressionist painters whose work has influenced hers.  She graduated magna cum laude from Mount Holyoke College in 1977, and obtained a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law in 1980.  She moved to Lewisburg (in Central Pennsylvania) in 1980 and practiced law full-time and painted part-time for about thirty years.  During this period she studied painting and attended workshops, including memorable weeks with Lois Griffel who directed the Cape Cod School of Art in Provincetown, Massachusetts.  Workshop locations included Provincetown, MA, Austin TX, Cortona, Italy, and Aix-en-Provence, France.

While always knowing she was an artist, Roy cites her two years living in France from 2012-2014 as the final phase of her evolution from a “lawyer who paints” to a professional artist.   She paints in oils and watercolors and produces commissioned paintings of homes, gardens, landscapes, and commercial buildings for clients, as well as paintings which she sells through shows, galleries, and her website.   She also gives private art lessons.  She happily travels to do commissions and paints a wide variety of subjects from Central Pennsylvania to France where she maintains close ties with family and friends.

Simonne is finding recognition and praise for her paintings.  She won first place in the Lewisburg Arts Festival show 2011 for “Blueberry Field,” and her painting “Sunflower Field” was accepted into the competitive juried show sponsored by Doshi Gallery held at the State Museum of Pennsylvania.   (For a complete list of awards see “Awards and Shows” below.)

A long-time member of the Lewisburg Arts Council, she is now serving on its Board of Directors.  She is one of the founders of the Lewisburg Artists Guild, which is part of the Lewisburg Arts Council.  Simonne is also a member of the Susquehanna Art Society and Harrisburg Art Association.