About

A native Californian, I was born and raised in Santa Clara Valley, once known as the “Valley of Heart’s Delight” for its world-renowned orchards and vineyards. Scenes from that childhood as well as the rich landscapes throughout northern California and the Pacific coastline are etched in my mind, souvenirs, touchstones of my life.

After earning my art degree I did not start painting again until I spent twelve years in the deep stillness of the Texas Hill Country. When I returned to Northern California to live in Sonoma, my painting shifted from narrative to large-scale abstract work, a gestural and intuitive expression of homecoming, of place, of all that came before.

Landscape still influences my painting practice but not in a subjective way. Exploitation of the painting process - exalting the mark, mining the gesture - became the mandate, often using less conventional tools like scrapers, brayers, crayons, graphite, markers, oil stick, mono prints, feathers, sticks, my hands. The work is a physical meditation of process and memory.

My paintings have been shown in juried exhibitions across the United States, including the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, 311 Gallery in Raleigh, and the River Arts Center in Wisconsin. My work received accolades including Best of Drawing and Painting at Southwest School of Art for “Letters from Eden: to Karen” which was covered in the San Antonio Express-News. My painting, “Small Birds Twitter” was recognized in the Landscapes and Seascapes show in Raleigh and was featured as well on the poster announcing The Conroe Art League National Invitational Show in Conroe, Texas.

After a lifetime of longing to paint I am finally fully engaged in making the work I have been imagining forever. The act of painting as well as my vision for doing that work are still evolving on this journey to an unknown destination.