I am a painter based in Phoenix who believes art is a transformative process that allows us to express ourselves and communicate and connect with others. Artwork, like music, reaches out to the viewer and can evoke memories, thoughts, and feelings. No two people will experience an artwork the same way. The rewarding feeling of creating something brings meaning to our lives, builds positivity and encourages personal growth. Whether it be expressing yourself through music, writing, singing, painting, cooking, gardening, building or making something, giving life to something outside of ourselves transforms us and gives us an opportunity to share with others. I am honored when someone feels drawn to one of my paintings as it is always a piece of myself, and it is magical to connect over a shared love of the painting's subject or image. This is why I paint. 

 About My Work

 I always come to the canvas with a specific idea or subject that has inspired me, and I love the process of allowing the elements of spontaneity, risk, and chance to influence the creation of a piece. I have always been drawn to the Expressionist movement and artists, and I feel this style best describes my artwork. My intent is not to depict reality in my paintings, but to use color, line, and form to evoke subjective emotions. I focus on the dynamic application of color and brushstrokes, combining pastels and many layers of paint, sometimes adding texture with modeling paste or other mixed media.  I thrive on the process of watching a painting evolve and allowing the planned and unplanned elements combine in the creation of an artwork. 

My History 

I grew up in Baltimore and attended University of Maryland, where I received a Bachelor's of Art, specializing in oil painting and welding. During and after college, I worked all sorts of jobs, as a model for art classes and photographers, designing logos, waitressing and bartending, before I landed in the travel business where I worked for fifteen years. I traveled around the world, started a family, and went back to school in my thirties, earning a Master's of Counseling from George Washington University in Wash, DC. During my career as a therapist, I utilized my love of art and training in counseling to work with adolescents in public school systems in several states. I have been fortunate to live in different countries and seven states.  As my three grown children will tell you, I love to experience different places and one of my favorite things to do is travel and explore the world, especially in natural settings.

Me Today

Like many others, I retired in 2020. I had always dreamed of becoming a fulltime artist and the timing seemed right to make a big life change. I had seriously returned to painting about seven years before, taking life drawing and painting classes in downtown Phoenix and during the pandemic, taking online art classes and painting every day.  My cozy and comfortable art studio where I love to create is in the backyard of my home in Phoenix, where I live with my husband and two dogs. I have exhibited and sold my work in several galleries in the Phoenix metropolitan area: The Herberger Gallery, MOOD Room, Vision Gallery, Howland Gallery, The Gammage Theater, Ground Floor Artists, WHAM Gallery, and the Arizona Artists Guild.

My art business has been designated as a "Trusted Art Seller" with The Art Storefronts Organization, which means you can shop with confidence, and know that I stand behind the quality and value of my products.