I was the first of three kids born to a restless Baptist minister and an artistic housewife in the early '60s. Our wayward family provided me with a different definition of 'home' which was impermanent and not centered in any particular locale. I grew up north and south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and split my college years between the Maryland Art Institute and Montana State University in Bozeman, earning a BFA in 1984.

Art has always been my refuge and color my primary interest since my love affair with the periwinkle Crayola crayon. Painting was the natural outlet for my sensibilities and I continue to consider myself a painter at heart. In 2001, with the intention of realizing some concepts in clay, I began a sustained exploration of the medium. Working in clay has allowed me to add dimension to my visions and to experiment with surface richness and variation. True to my painterly origins, I finish my clay tiles and sculptures with generous layers of underglazes, slips, and glazes.

My inherited nomadic tendencies have driven me to seek new landscapes and cultures, both in-country and abroad. Traveling is my most fertile muse. African textile patterns, deities from India, and architectural constructions and graffiti from Spain are among the elements that appear in my work.

The foundation of my process often begins with found imagery which I use as a springboard to further research or as reference material. As my ideas evolve, I create sketches or collages to develop and refine them. Finally, I trust the process of sculpting to allow a unique subject to emerge.

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