Doheny Palms

Catch a Little, Cachalot

Crystal Cove Relics

Cool Laguna Morning

Mission Contemplation

Crystal Cove Cliffs – Pelican Point

Cool Laguna Morning

Low Tide Afternoon - Crystal Cove

Beachgoers - Crystal Cove

Oak Canopy by Trail

Lupine & Mustard in San Juan Capsitrano Hills

Wild Black Oaks & Grapevines

Napa Vineyard

Trail Into Forgotten Orange Grove

Fishing Boats at Dana Wharf

Laguna Waves - Heisler Park

Path to Paradise

Bommer Canyon Oaks & Sycamores

O'Neill Corral - Caspers Park

Creekside Birch – Caspers Park

Edge of Morning - Crystal Cove

Esther’s involvement in art has spanned over 50 years.  She was born in Binghamton, NY in 1955.   She focused on art throughout her early educational years, by drawing with any medium she could grasp between her fingers.  As a very young child she felt the urge to draw, so her father asked the local butcher for clean wrapping paper for his artist daughter. Her next memory was being on a wood floor drawing to her heart's content on that butcher paper with big bold strokes.  She is the only left handed child of a large family of ten and would disappear from the family chaos to draw in her room or outdoors.  When she was eight years old in 1964, she designed a poster for a Calif. Department of Motor Vehicles contest, it won her first place statewide and $50.00.  It probably paid for groceries for the family.  Also at the same age, she drew an illustration from an art school magazine advertisement and submitted it.  After some more back and forth submissions of drawings, a representative showed up on her doorstep to meet her in hopes of signing her up to their art school.  He was shocked when an eight year old came to the door and she was told she had to wait until she was eighteen

During her time living in Napa, California from six to sixteen years old (1961-1971) she spent hours outdoors and her love for nature blossomed.  In the same era, Esther’s love of the sea arose from her frequent family trips to Bodega Bay, CA where she sketched while riding in the car.   In 1971, she moved to Binghamton, New York where she became president of her high school art class and took a memorable trip to the art museums of New York City.  While in her senior year of high school, she was offered a scholarship to the Calif. College of Arts at Oakland, thanks to her art teacher.  Instead, there was a seven year marriage to her first husband and having two sons.  By 1980 she began formal studies in art at Tompkins Cortland-Community College (TC-3) in Dryden, New York.  She studied both architectural design and fine art.  She spent another year studying art and art history at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. 

While living in Washington, D.C. for three years she spent many hours studying the masters in the museums.  She moved to Los Angeles to study fashion design at The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM).  Trying to balance her role as a mother forced her to quit.   She retained her creative spirit and became self motivated in her learning of art.  She still studies the old masters by visiting museums and reading books to learn from the forefathers of art.  She has entered into many exhibitions winning numerous awards. She is in four art associations, has accelerated her awareness of the plein air impressionism style by continuing to paint among modern signature and established artists.  Affiliations are the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association , San Clemente Art Association, Southern CA Artist's Association and Southern CA Plein Air Painters.