about

My mixed media work reflects influences of artists that have inspired me over the years as well as my inquiry about the very human need for connection to self and others. The process of painting brings me to a place of connection and ease without words. As I experiment with texture, composition, color and metaphor I trust and follow and the imagery which can evolve into an abstract or figurative piece. I am inspired by the Bay Area Figurative movement including Manuel Neri and Nathan Oliveria and have always been drawn by the luminous colors in Rothko's work. As a sculpture major at the Academy of Art in San Francisco I was inspired by several mixed media sculptors and especially loved Louise Nevelson's work. My early work included exploration into ceramics, gourds, fiber work, printmaking, painting and neon and bronze sculpture. All have led to my current exploration in two streams of work, mixed media with watercolors/acrylics or oils on canvas and paper and nature based explorations in watercolors.

Art and nature have sustained and inspired me my entire life. Painting is my way to explore and express inner states, find peace, balance and solace and to connect with a source that feels much larger than my limited understanding. Since childhood, creating art has been both a driving force and a healing experience. Growing up in the hills in west Sonoma County, I was forever collecting bits of feather, bones, sticks and stones to create small figures or sculptures. Over time I developed a deeper knowing that unseen forces are always at play and being in a creative zone touches into that stream. The stream carries me. I also work as an art therapist to help others explore and transform their lives.

I have shown my work in numerous solo and group shows throughout California and neigboring states since 1986.