Born into an artistic family, imagination was encouraged at an early age. I was taught to not only appreciate art, but to generate it. This early support allowed me the ability to trust my artistic instincts and to embrace the creative process.

While studying at the University of Michigan, I became fascinated with the textiles of African and Native American cultures and this initiated my passion for beadwork. I like my bead pieces to look somewhat intuitive, so I keep my sketching and planning to a minimum. From a distance my beadwork may appear simple, almost primitive, but upon closer inspection, the viewer sees the complexity of the tiny bead designs. Like the small beads, my pieces comprise the small moments that make up a life. The diversity of beads is illuminating. I like the challenge beads offer with a limited color pallet and minuscule size. I find this work to be intimate and meditative. Beading offers me a quiet atmosphere allowing me to focus and reflect on issues.

My paintings are impulsive and expressionistic. Color is my foremost inspiration. I like my paintings to develop organically so that they have a sense of spontaneity and emotion. When I incorporate text on the canvas, it is meant to be an element of the composition. The idioms do not necessarily define the painting, but they do create another visual dimension. For many viewers the passages are bewildering and add to the mystique of the piece.

Inspiration for both mediums draws primarily from dealing with aspects of my own life. I translate thoughts, dreams and conflict onto my canvases whether they are covered with beads or with paint, allowing me to present art that is strange, somber and sardonic.