I was born in Youngstown, Ohio, and currently reside and work in Oakwood, Ohio. 

I received a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Wright State University. There, I studied painting with Ernie Koerlin and Kim Kaiser.

I do not have a traditional art journey. I took a period away from painting to raise a family and work full time (outside the art world) but returned with immense passion. In order to broaden my painting knowledge, I have sought out other painters.

In Maine, my painting education was enhanced by Lois Dodd. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with her on four different occasions. I learned about subject matter, color, shape, and particularly about light! I painted with Elizabeth O’Reilly in France. She introduced me to painted paper collage. My knowledge of painted paper collage was further enhanced in Michigan with Ken Kewley.

I’ve sought out challenging landscapes to interpret into images. The stunning coastline along the Georgian Bay in Canada, Arizona’s Red Rocks were particularly difficult but so rewarding, the foothills of the Pyrenees in France and something as simple as a backyard tree in Missouri.

I seek out art to view and learn from. Corot, “Bringing in the nets” at Musée D’Orsay and “Trees” by Claude Lorain at the Louvre both inspired me. I was moved to tears at the Prada in Madrid by Goya’s “black paintings”. David Park’s Retrospective in Kalamazoo, Michigan was so brilliant and moving I went twice.

I am now a member of First Street Gallery in New York. A solo show was scheduled at Prince Street Gallery which has been postponed due to Covid-19. I also had a month-long residency at Vermont Studio Center in 2017. The Arc of Appalachia, Artists in Sanctuary offered me a residency that was to have taken place in September. It has been rescheduled to March/April 2021, due to Covid-19.

I will continue the journey of observing the world around me using paint and collage to interpret what I see.