I grew up in a rambling old beach house in New England, where creativity was woven into everyday life. My bohemian parents nurtured it from the very start—my sister, who is also an artist, and I spent evenings drawing on a huge chalkboard while they cooked dinner and danced. My father always brought home art supplies, including a massive drafting table, and they encouraged us to paint anything we wanted—our bedroom walls, furniture, and fabric to make clothes. My first job was sewing clothes for a boutique when I was 13!

Ballet, sewing, and art were part of my early creative exploration, and in 1981, I moved to San Francisco to fully embrace a career as an artist. I began exhibiting in Bay Area galleries like Shorebirds in Belvedere, Greenleaf Gallery in Saratoga, the SFMOMA Rental Gallery, Art Works Downtown in San Rafael, and now at the ICB in Sausalito. Along the way, I worked as a textile designer, a faux finisher, furniture painter, restaurant owner, and designed closets and window coverings. Each of those experiences has influenced my creative process and found its way into my work.

Franz Kline, Robert Rauschenberg, and Nathan Oliveira have been the strongest influences on my paintings, which are mostly abstract. I often use mixed media—pastels, graphite, torn paper, old photos, and other ephemera, layering paint and ink to build depth. I love the process of transforming a blank canvas, drawing inspiration from my environment—the shifting seasons, the moody presence of fog and water, and the way light constantly changes over the bay, creating an ethereal atmosphere.