Born and raised in the Twin Cities, I moved to the Chicago area in 1984.When my three children were all in school, I decided to go back to school myself to study art.As an undergraduate, my focus was in drawing and watercolor painting, until I transferred to Northern Illinois University where I rediscovered a love of metals that was born years ago in high school.I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3-D Studio (with an emphasis on Metal and Jewelry) in 2002, and then continued on to complete a Masters of Fine Arts in 3-D Studio with an emphasis in Metal and Jewelry in December 2005.
My art covers a wide range of media, including body adornment, drawing, printmaking, watercolor, and three dimensional sculpture. In sculpture I attempt to interpret and communicate my reaction to the world around me - how we as human beings relate to one another. The body adornment I create most often incorporates stones, and is more simply pure form used to express the natural beauty of the materials. I love the dual nature of metal in both these forms of expression - its plasticity as well as its solidity. Combining metal with other materials in my art reflects the many facets of the natural world as well as the many aspects of human nature.
I currently teach at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, Illinois. In January of 2004 I had the good fortune to introduce the Jewelry/Metals program to the art department, which now includes two levels of curriculum - Jewelry I and Jewelry II, and an expanded schedule of classes. I also teach the Art Appreciation curriculum. Other recent teaching positions include Beginning Jewelry and Art Appreciation at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois as well as at their Waukegan facility and their facilities at the Great Lake Naval Station.I have been a Designer and Production Manager at A Pirates Treasure Custom Jewelry, in DeKalb, Illinois for the past five years, and I maintain a private studio where I create art, commissioned art jewelry, and continue to develop and offer lectures and workshops.
I have been a member of the Chicago Metal Arts Guild (CMAG) since 2003, and am also a member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, (SNAG) the American Crafts Council, and the College Art Association.This past year (2008) I served on the CMAG Events Committee, successfully hosting and conducting the workshop “Etching on Metal” at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, and organizing (along with Debbye Simpson) the Arline Fitch workshop “Woven and Plaited Metals” at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. This fall I was elected to serve on CMAG's Board of Directors and currently function as the chair of the Events Committee.
