Although art has always been a part of my life, I struggled finding my own voice and confidence to explore it. I studied at two very prestigious art schools, The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Otis Parsons Los Angeles, but left after several years after feeling creatively out of my depth and financially stressed. The foundation skills I learned at PAFA , esp. color theory and composition, have proven invaluable and have served me well throughout my lifetime. I am also a graduate of the Decorative Restoration Program at ABTech Community College in Asheville, N.C. Most of my adult life was spent chasing adrenaline and adventure from sea level to 14,000’ mountains, working jobs from high altitude cooking to running the children's programs at a county arts council. Over the last 30 years I have explored a number of mediums including; soft pastel, oil pastel, silk painting, acrylics, oils, mosaics, charcoal, encaustics, cold wax, carving and mixed media. Jill of all trades, mistress of, well a few. Living in the Bahamas for many years woke up my true spirit and flipped a switch on for my love of vibrant color and how nature feeds my whole being and my art. My portfolio is vast, the styles and mediums quite varied, but most of my recent artwork could fall under the categories of collage and/or assemblage. Different mediums allow me to express different ideas. There is an intimacy to tearing out paper and watching a portrait or scene come to life as I build up layers.
