My Story
I grew up in New England, part of a large, hardworking, boisterous and creative family. Someone was always making something--whether it was wood carvings, macrame, metal art or watercolors. I was so lucky to have so many creative influences from early on and to be surrounded by those who appreciated and experimented with different kinds of art.
In college, I majored in sculpture because I couldn't narrow down what materials I wanted to work with. I loved learning about art and the different skills needed to create it. I spent many late nights working in the studios--so absorbed in the work that the security guards would often have to kick me out. But the gallery openings and art exhibits that I participated in were not what I wanted to be about. I was drawn to what it meant to be an artisan— someone who makes an object for joy and function, with skill and craft, rather than for show and exhibit. It was not a popular attitude with some of my art professors.
During my junior year, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend a semester in Italy. In Florence, I studied restoration and Florentine history. It allowed me to visit so many churches and historic buildings that I would have never seen as a tourist. I took in as much as I could. Different types of beautiful art can be anywhere--often in the most unexpected places--and I found myself spending a lot of time making sketches of the floors. They were so beautiful and, in my opinion, underappreciated since there was so much else to take in around and above. Back in the States, I finished my formal studies and in 2000, graduated from The University of Massachusetts with a BFA in sculpture.
Since then, I've done a bunch of not-art-related work-things, including running a pizza shop, leading a cannabis trim team and holding more conventional jobs. I spent a couple of months teaching English at a summer school in China and used the opportunity to soak in the artistry found in the temples, museums, tourist sites and in everyday places. It was a great learning experience that allowed me to broaden my exposure to forms and styles beyond the European influences I was used to.
But no matter what I do, I always come back to art and creating. I've worked on stained glass restoration, manufactured ceramic lamp shades and taught classes on fused glass and ceramic painting. Several years ago, I was invited to participate in an iron pour at an industrial arts facility nearby. I had only done one metal pour in college, with bronze, but loved it. And now, since doing my first iron pour, I am hooked. Since that first iron pour, I have participated in a couple of metal pours a year, usually with my sisters. Loving the process and usually making pieces for my home. Pieces that will last forever.
I've found I'm truly happy when I am making something. So now I'm drawing from all my experiences to create original pieces for people to enjoy.
These days I can be found in my home studio in Massachusetts, where I live with my extremely wonderful husband --who is also a prolific painter --and our adorable cats.