Artist Biography

Born in Boston, I grew up in a family of artists and writers and spent most of my life working as an artist in various forms. After a general training in art at the Paris American Academy in France at 17, I received my BFA  with a concentration on ceramics and minor in printmaking. at Kansas State University under Professors Yoshiro Ikeda and James Munce. Graduating at the top of my class and having participated in many exhibitions I then went on to work as a free-lance artist in Los Angeles, CA, where I completed several tile installations, decorative murals and exhibited my ceramic work. Leaving California in 1996 I moved to Florence, Italy where I attended the Scuola di Ceramica, Montelupo Fiorentino. While in Italy I continued my art training in diverse disciplines such as fresco painting, mask making and traditional majolica pottery. I continued to work and exhibit my ceramic art in Italy for the next six years. Currently I have recently begun working to find a balance between teaching and creating my own work. In my own work and studio time, I have focused my attention on creating my own unique body of work in both printmaking and clay. Recent travels to Japan, have ignited a re-discovery of my passion for printmaking. The images for these, like my pottery, are inspired by a great love of nature and dedicated to exploring a plethora of natural textures, shapes, and forms. I am also working on a body of work exploring social justice focusing on BIPOC women and children. A print from this genre was accepted and awarded in the North American 75 th Biennial Exhibition held at Boston University.

Since my years as a Graduate Student in Art at Kansas State University, studying with ceramics with Professor Yoshiro Ikeda, I also discovered the wonderful world of printmaking! As a child, Thomas Hart Benton was a sort of Grandfather figure for me and my siblings. I grew up surrounded by his lithographs, which are a part of my internal art library. After enrolling at Kansas State University I was delighted to meet Professor James Munce, an amazing artist, printmaker and teacher. With his guidance I explored many printmaking techniques, with a focus on lithography.

Recently, having spent many summers in Okinawa, Japan, I re-discovered my passion for printmaking. Inspired by the Japanese scenery and traditional woodblock printing, particularly the prints of Katsushika Hokusai, I began a series of my own linoleum prints, which I could do at home! The images for these, like my pottery, are inspired by nature. Carving the surfaces is very much like carving the surfaces of my pottery with the additional and wonderful opportunity to explore the world of paper. I print on a variety of natural papers, also initially inspired by the amazing paper options I discovered in Japan. The textures, color variations, and weight of the papers I use bring something unique and rich to each print.

Through printmaking I have also discovered a means to voice concerns, tells stories that need being told, explore and share topics of social justice.

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