Family: My husband, Robert (Bob) Gutbrod; daughters and their husbands, Jack — Jacqueline, but she goes by Jack — and Si, and Sarah and Jake; and our son Dieter and his partner Franklin; and our grandson Wyatt.

Do you have any pets? We have a trained therapy dog, Lola. I trained her at The Exceptional Pet, and they’re pretty wonderful. She’s gone to school for finals and a few other events in town. We also have a cat, named Pabu. Our son named him, and it means “fool” in Korean.

How long have you lived in Newtown? 33 years.

Career? I just retired, on June 13, as an art educator at Fairfield University.

What do you like to do with your free time? Art. I like to do any kind and all kinds of art. I have a studio that is beautiful in the back of our two-car garage. It’s painted all white, it has a ceiling fan, and it has music, and a fireplace, and it’s my sanctuary. The other thing I like to do is dig in the dirt. I plant all kinds of crazy things all over the place. We have this wonderful space between my home and my neighbor’s property that I can reach, and they can’t get to it to water, so they let me plant there. We call it The In-Between Garden, and it’s been such fun. It’s about 20 feet deep and it runs the length of their property. Rather than let it be weedy, we came to this arrangement. It’s theirs, but I plant it — and they sometimes give me plants that they’re done with — and I weed it, and we both enjoy it. That’s the beauty of it. They can see it from their side and I can see it from mine.

Who is your favorite author? Right now I’m reading Sarah J. Maas. It’s fantasy, and it’s perfect for the end of the school year. I just wanted something to wind down to. It’s seven books deep, so you get a lot of information. I like her writing style because when she describes something you can really see it.

Are you part of any organizations? I’m part of Westport Artists Collective, and will be in a show at Westport Library later this month.

Who or what has been the greatest influence in your life? Mr Berman, my high school art teacher. He was the one who came to me and said, “You need to be here. Why aren’t you here?” I hadn’t signed up to take art; I’d signed up to take science-math, which I loved, and still do. I’d always liked art, but it was probably one of the most difficult things I got involved in. It was challenging, and I was curious. I’ve always been curious, and love figuring things out, and art didn’t come with directions. You had to come up with what goes with what, and what was your rationale, and what did you want to do. So I went into the arts because it was difficult, and challenging, and because I was curious. I have stayed making art since that time. It’s been a lifelong love. It hasn’t always been easy, but that’s part of what I love about it. You have to be curious, you have to admit you don’t know everything, and you have to want to try stuff. Mr Berman was really a magical kind of guy. He was a vivacious, happy, and exceptional person. He was interested in seeing the best in you.

What was the most recent movie you saw in the theater? My husband and I saw Oppenheimer at the Riverview Theater in Southbury. We really liked it.

Favorite actor? Denzel Washington. I don’t like him when he plays bad, vicious people though.

Favorite musical genre? I like to listen to music that I can understand the lyrics to. I like a song with a good story, and if it has a catchy tune I will sing it. I’ll sing in the car, or in my backyard, or when I’m painting.

What was the most recent concert you went to? Jackson Browne in Bridgeport. My husband and I saw him last year and it was magical.

Do you have any pet peeves? Not really, no. For the most part I stay on the positive side of the world.

Favorite color? Turquoise

What is your favorite part about Newtown? I think it’s beautiful. I love the gardens. The traffic islands that the garden clubs do are beautiful. I like that the people are friendly. People talk to you. The school system was great. My kids got so much out of being here. They had so much exposure in the arts, and sports, camaraderie, good teachers — everything you could possibly want.

Do you have a personal credo? Be curious, be adventurous, dig in the dirt, and admit you don’t know everything.