I began seriously painting in the early 1980s while living with my family in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. At the Belles Artes I studied drawing and weaving and at the Instituto de Allende I studied watercolor with James Pinto. As we traveled extensively, I photographed, drew and painted. I loved exploring tiny pueblos and working en plein aire in the countryside with children hovering and donkeys, goats, and chickens wandering.

When we returned to the US in 1984, I studied part-time at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA.  Over the years I have worked with many North shore artists. My common mediums are pastel and oil, but I enjoy the challenge of a new process and have molded with clay, dabbled with collage, encaustics and combined media. One of my early hobbies was to recycle picture frames and furniture by painting them with designs from early American cultures. Old boxes make great altars.

Primarily, I have shown my work on the Northshore through the Newburyport Art Association (NAA), the galleries at the Governor’s Academy, and Glen

Urquhart School. I’ve had smaller shows at local churches and business - where I also sell note cards. My work is on display at The Artists’ Muse, located at 9 Water Street, Amesbury, MA, where I have shared space since 2002 with Lee Rowan.  

Many of my paintings reflect the vibrancy of life and cultures that I’ve experienced in our travels. My works are conversations with what I see and the people I meet. I want to capture the light, color, faces and shapes I’ve noted in my sojourns to the Southwest, Mexico, Central and South America, Greece, Spain and beyond. I like a strong light or image against an architectural structure. Gardening and walking in the marshes inspire me as I observe nature, light and architectural forms. I try to bring this awe to what I create. My pieces are meaningful memories of special times with family, friends and special places.  In my professional years as a learning specialist, I enjoyed bringing the arts into my teaching and tutoring children and adults in reading, language and writing.