Born in Chicago Illinois, 1961. As a young child growing up in an insular Chicago suburb, I often yearned for nature and the wild and desperately wanted to live like the kids in the movies who went fishing and walked across the creek by placing stepping stones in the moving water. Instead, digging in the mud in my backyard was my favorite pastime. I loved the feel of earth squishing through my fingers and often spent hours manipulating and forming imaginary cities and odd creatures. As I grew, so did my materials. My dresser drawers were filled with scraps of garbage I collected off the neighborhood streets. A rusted muffler would become a body for a figure. A milk carton would be transformed into a diorama. My hands became my tools. Like a shovel to a gardener, I unearthed my inner artist. I knew at a very young age that I could conjure up beautiful things and bring them into existence. When I was creating, I was present and content, I was at home.

I have worked in isolation for years and overcome many challenges, trusting my path and knowing that there is an audience out there who will resonate with my work. Consequently, receiving external recognition and feedback feels like a dream come true. I am consumed with joy. My art has been exhibited in private and public places including: Chicago’s Harris Theater, The Lincoln Park Conservatory, Expo Chicago, SOFA, the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art and many galleries throughout the Midwest. I have pieces in several private and public collections across the country and public works in various Illinois venues such as; An International Social Media Company-Data Center, DeKalb IL, The Lorraine Morton Civic Center in Evanston IL, The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, IL, and Lewis University (Science Building) in Romeoville IL. In addition, I am an Arts Educator who has been teaching art enrichment courses at colleges, local schools and art centers for over 30 years.