I have always been drawn to the light. After a 2006 cancer diagnosis, I felt a need to create art that lifted me and anyone who stood before it. I discovered a non-toxic material that literally turned a negative into a positive. Scratchbords® by Ampersand are hard boards covered in India ink and Kaolin Clay, used to make Porcelain. Etching with my X-ACTO knife into the layers of black ink, my lines magically appear in the white clay. After countless hours, detailed art emerges filled with textures, patterns, and bold contrast. Sometimes I choose to paint with special colored inks at the end of the process, watching as they seep into the fine white lines.

Beginning at age twelve, I spent my weekends taking the Howard EL to downtown Chicago, studying Figure Drawing, Sculpture and Painting at SAIC. One of my favorite parts was wandering the halls of the Art Institute after class let out. I never tired of visiting the Asian Art Gallery, continuously amazed by the stories unfolding through detailed lines filled with powerful movement and patterns.

I hope people feel that same sense of wonder when they experience my creations.

My energy is divided between three sensibilities, all fueled by discovery.

Nature plays a huge role in my creations. My Eco-Psychology series concentrates on how nature transports us to a better place, visibly lowering our blood pressure and lifting our moods. Science has shown that we relax when confronted with beauty surrounded by a calm only made possible by fully embracing the natural world and actively participating in preserving it.

My Interaction series creates connections through loosely drawn characters that intermingle across the page. They are reminders that we are all part of the human-race, diversity is our super-power. I believe that artists can change people’s minds. The viewer stands before a piece of art and finds themselves experiencing a story that resonates with them. In addition to hanging on a wall, two hinged clear panels swing back and forth across the colored art. They are covered in etched characters, and when laid over the colored art, form even greater interactions.

Spontaneous Combustion is filled with detailed patterns that morph into abstract forms, no matter how many times you look at them you always find something new. The multiple detailed lines appear to pop right off the page. This series has art that ranges from 2”x2” to 72”x48”.