about my work-
I am often told that my art work makes people feel happy. Beauty, joy, and color seem to pulse through my design; the creation process is magical and mysterious. I endeavor to deliver portraits of the soul that are living conversations of color and pattern. I view these elements as living portals or gateways to something deep and whole.

This is the "big picture" of course, doing art is just as much about showing up regularly, practicing, making mistakes, and keeping all the materials and supplies stocked and organized!

In my studio I'm slowly building my 3D fabrication skills combining wood, painting, and ceramics. It has taken me a long time to learn all of these mediums; 25 years and counting. It is exciting to see where these new combinations will take me in terms of sculpture. I love being able to paint directly on wood and get the vibrant colors I couldn't always achieve in ceramics. I'm enjoying this new "modern folk art" direction. We'll see where the Muse takes me next.

about my art career-
I started my art career in 1992 selling handmade magnets and bookmarks in Amsterdam and Prague after graduating from UT Austin.

When I moved back to the States I learned ceramics and started making handmade tiles. Little by little my business progressed and I started making home accent items such as placemats and blackboards in addition to my paintings. First I participated in the American Craft Council shows, then more commercial trade shows like the New York Gift Fair. At one point I had 1000 wholesale customers and 4 full time employees. In time I was offered several large licensing contracts that kept me producing 700 designs a year. I designed for many giftware companies and was the principal designer for Two's Company's Cupcakes and Cartwheels. My product designs in fabric, ceramic, rug, scrapbook, and stationary design were collected and sold internationally.

At the same time I was represented by a gallery in Tokyo, so I had about 7 shows there and got to travel to Japan frequently. All the while I was raising my darling son Roan (who is now 15!) so life then was pretty full.

In 2011 my contracts were complete and I decided to make the switch to a full time studio practice making everything in my studio.
I'm fairly new to Etsy and am looking forward to working with this vibrant community.

I feel lucky to have the life I do. Thanks for reading!