"I have always thought of myself as a painter derailed by circumstance.” -- Joni Mitchell in a June 8, 2000, article by Deidre Kelly in the Toronto Globe (“ ‘I sing my sorrow and I paint my joy’”) At the holidays, I often listen to “River” by Joni Mitchell:“It’s...

Today I went to my friend Linda’s celebration of life. It was one of the few times she was there before I was. Her decorative urn was placed on a table across from a watercolor I had painted of her years ago. I met Linda after I moved to Simi Valley in the ‘80s. We...

As a child growing up in California’s San Fernando Valley, I looked forward to letters and packages from my great-aunts Ethel and Mildred. Their sister was my maternal grandmother, and I’m grateful I was named after her and not Ethel or Mildred. My spinster...

Google “Mary Scott” and you’ll see why I use my maiden name, Kolada, as part of my professional name. There are numerous Mary Scotts, some also in Ventura, including another patient of my primary physician, which has caused confusion. Some people remember my name...