Flora and fauna of the natural environment inspire my ceramic tiles, sculptures, and utilitarian pieces. Designs based on trees, leaves, flowers, insects, animals, fish, and reptiles are some of the subjects I enjoy arranging and rearranging on terra cotta clay. In the wall sculptures, architectural elements frame these forms with added patterns and textures created with hand-made clay stamps pressed into soft clay. I've also incorporated designs based on hands and the human form, again, embellished with repeated designs and patterns.

Favorite art quote: Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life. P.Picasso

Toledo, Ohio is my place of birth where I grew up in a large family in the country. We played games with the neighborhood kids, rode our bicycles all over, and ice skated on the nearby creek every day after school in the winter. I loved being in the woods and smelling the wood fires in the autumn season. Even more, I loved the awakening world of flowers, trees, and warm spring rain after the long, grey winters of Midwest Ohio. Today I enjoy gardening and being outside in my backyard or visiting area parks to see growing plants, trees, and flowers. I have traveled to Costa Rica, France, England, Ireland, the east coast and northwest coasts of the US, New Mexico and Texas. Exploring and discovering different landscapes and plant forms and using these visits as inspiration for my art is rewarding. Visits to European cities and classes in art history inspire the use of architectural forms in my sculptures.

Training:
Clay classes, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Glatinburg, TN, 2000-
Part-time Instructor, University of Toledo Department of Art, l989-90
Classes at Boston University and Boston Museum School, 1997-1981
Elementary Art Specialist, Springfield Local Schools, Holland, OH l973-78, 1990-2008
Masters of Fine Art (Painting), Bowling Green State University, l982
Bachelor of Education, Intensive Drawing Major, University of Toledo, l971