BIO
Growing up on the edge of Aledo, a small town in western Illinois, has heavily shaped my work. Because of our close proximity to the Mississippi River we were surrounded by rolling hills and the mighty river’s tributaries. Playful interactions with the surrounding natural world nourished me then and continue to feed me today.
Much of my youth was spent barefoot and outdoors, exploring with my gang the nearby countryside, creating pirate ships and castles from the enormous pile of brush that sat at the end of our lot. Other times I relished my time alone, sitting under the canopy of the giant elms which surrounded our home. There, I’d spend hours making environments amongst gnarly roots using sticks and mud.
My mother’s garden provided a bounty of fresh vegetables and berries for our family and every imaginable fruit tree filled the summer air with their sweet scents and offered climbing opportunities to pluck ripened fruit. I sprang from these deeply felt interactions with my natural environment. Because of my roots, I hold a belief that all things are connected and interdependent. Nature was my first teacher.
My official art education began in college where I focused on building technique as I grew my unique artist’s voice. As an undergraduate I was fortunate to study one year in Oslo, Norway, at Kunst øg Håndsverk Skole. This experience expanded my world and a love of traveling became a passion. Later, I traveled to Japan, Turkey and India through art educator grants, eager to understand the deep geographical and philosophical contexts in which art making is grounded in different cultures. Everywhere I found meaningful beauty in connecting with people.
Presently, I am retired and devote myself to my art making in my studio.