Bio

My own box of crayons! I was thrilled when I received a box of crayons in first grade I could call my own. We had them at home, but I shared with my brothers and sisters. We had a box full of art supplies.  I enjoyed drawing, painting and exhibiting in student contests and art shows.

I grew up in San Diego, one of five children who roamed up and down the beaches of California and Mexico.  I had a modest life rich with travel and adventures uncommon to most children then.  We camped along vacant beaches in Baja, gathered our food from the sea, and washed and swam among the waves.   We kept company with the scorpions at night and the creatures of the tide pools by day.  Inspirations for creating were all around us.  To rest from our explorations we would often draw and paint about the things we discovered, observed or dreamed. 

Following my dad’s footsteps, I became an elementary school teacher and incorporated art into most every subject.  My thesis for grad school centered on using multi-modal approaches to include art as a way to engage children in different areas of study.  This investigative approach where children discover the elements and facts that resonate with them through reading, writing, math and drawing, proved to be a successful and rewarding endeavor.  

I have studied, exhibited, taught and sold my art all over the world from California to Virginia to Italy and Vienna, Austria.  I visited the sacred churches of Italy, the Jugenstil of Vienna and the villages of such artists as Monet, Klimt, and Hunderwasser.  I studied ancient Italian art techniques which included Fresco, Illuminated writing, and gold leaf applications.  The energy of art emerges from a deep yearning with-in to express awareness of the beauty already inherent in our surroundings.  Nature in life inspires and ignites my passion to share the value and worth of art through a variety of mediums.

 Currently I live in Northern California where I hope to encourage the consciousness of working together to keep a healthy environment not only for ourselves, but for the intriguing creatures and features of the land and sea life communities.