Margaret Skiles

Margaret Skiles was born in California and grew up on the east coast. She returned to California in 1993 and continues to reside there. She states that art has always been a part of her life though in very different ways and in very different amounts. Her professional training and career as a plastic surgeon relied heavily on aesthetics. She is now retired and has much more time to pursue her artistic goals. Of the two processes she is now using, photography and oil painting, she first learned traditional photographic skills from her father when darkrooms were the only option for developing your own pictures. She has now transitioned to working digitally with its challenges and rewards. Six years ago she discovered oil painting and has pursued this medium through a variety of workshops and classes, most recently an intensive workshop in Florence Italy at the Florence Academy of Art. Her work has been included in shows in multiple local venues including the Crocker Museum, the Sparrow Gallery and now here at The Artery.