I have been termed as a "multi-passionate" person. I like the sound of that and here is why...

 

Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My mom was a big influence early on as she enjoyed going to the theatre, ballet, concerts, and traveling (she was a travel agent!). She enrolled me in ballet (at 5) and art classes (at 8). So I had plenty of creative outlets in my youth. My art teacher, who taught on the first floor of her Victorian home, was an academic artist and that's how it began for me. We copied the works of the Masters' using charcoal, pastel, and oil paints. It was an environment I will never forget as I relished those Saturday morning classes. I grew tall quickly, so the ballet thing didn't last. I was all arms and legs!

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I went to college for nutrition, but ended up majoring in Studio Arts with a minor in Art History (which I absorbed like a sponge). I still have a love for healthy cooking and have a particular fondness and passion for baking sourdough breads from my wild yeast starter. 

 

I also hold a Master’s degree from the University of the Arts and taught art and design courses at the community college level for 12 years. I have also taught graduate courses in the Museum Studies Graduate program at UArts and worked as an art conservation technician at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in objects and textiles. 

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In 2009, after taking a workshop, I was bitten by the color realist philosophies of Henry Hensche and his predecessor Henry Hawthorne, both of the Cape Cod School of Art. I have studied under the following distinguished artists; Camille Prezwodek , Petaluma CA; Jean Brinton Jaecks , Annapolis, MD; Robin Frey and Natalie Italiano of Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia and Valerie Craig; St. Davids, PA, and many more. 

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I have also worked as a freelance graphic designer, primarily with cultural non-profit organizations. My graphic design work may be found in two permanent exhibits at the Academy of Natural Sciences, as well as many projects with Rutgers University and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 

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In addition to painting, in 2010 I renewed my interests in metal work and enameling. I have studied under Linda Darty of East Carolina University in North Carolina and Certaldo, Italy and Sandra McEwen in North Carolina. I am working on refining my skills in the art of champlevé and cloisonné.

 

My studio is located in Chester Springs, PA. I create unique kiln and torch-fired enameled jewelry and decorative wall tile pieces.

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I’m excited to share that I’ve had two jewelry enameling tutorials published in the online publication Artisan Jewelry Times (www.artisanjewelrytimes.com UPDATE: this online publication is out of business). They are in the November 2015 and November 2016 issues. I am also published in the Winter 2017-2018 issue of Belle Armoire Magazine as one of their featured artists. And in 2019 my Halstead Design Challenge piece was selected as a finalist out of a field of approximately 200 works. It was on exhibit at the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) conference in Chicago in May 2019.