A native of Irondequoit, a suburb of Rochester, New York, I have created artwork for most of my life.  I had my first "One Man Show" at the age of 13 in junior high school and went on after graduating high school to study art as an Art Studio major.  Although I later changed majors, fine arts was my minor in my Bachelor of Arts degree.

In recent years, I have become involved in our local art club, the Irondequoit Art club and was a member of the Webster Art Club for a year. I have received awards in their shows and have been privileged to have illustrated both a CD cover for a Broadway cast CD and a book published jointly by the University of Rochester and University of Pittsburgh as part of a large and later nationalized study of the impact of intensive care units on pediatric patients and their families.

I have taken some portrait commissions as time allowed and studied pastels and portraiture with Sari Gaby, a well-known and respected pastel portrait artist with her studio in Rochester, NY.

In 2002 and 2003, I served as President of the Irondequoit Art Club.  It was a wonderful experience.  I also produced "The Palette", our newsletter during that time.  That was a task I particularly enjoyed.  

Since 2002, I have been involved with some charity events for which I created pieces.  Most notably, I have participated in the Breast Cancer Coalition's "Rare Chair Affair" since its inception. My chairs have been auctioned for money that contributes to breast cancer research.  In 2004, I created a large cabinet that took the highest bid of the night!  All of this means a great deal to me.  I have also created hats for Gilda's Club the past two years to help them continue the wonderful programs they offer to cancer patients and their families. 

The year 2003 was a busy one with working on "The Windows Project", a local project that took old windows out of our high school and handed them over to artists to create something wonderful!  It was highly successful, raising more than $80,000 for our district's foundation that funds materials and projects not covered by our taxes.  My contribution, a fireplace screen with a painting behind the open panes of the frame, was purchased by a local family.

Also in 2004 I created a chair for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Montana for an auction they held there to raise funds for their cause after being approached by someone who viewed my website.  It was my pleasure to be a part of of this effort all the way across the country and add something to their worthy cause.

I had a solo exhibit of my paintings at the American Association for University Women's headquarters in Rochester, NY in September 2004.  Sixteen of my pastels, half of them new works, were exhibited there for two months.

2005 Projects