I created my first pet portrait at ten years old when my calico cat gave birth to three kittens in my closet.  Instinctively, I grabbed a pencil and sketched the gentle scene, filled with the wonder of it. Little did I know that many years later I would win first place at the NC State Fair for creating another calico cat portrait, only this time in pastel, of my beloved pet "Mowie." 

Before launching my art career, I earned a 2 year Degree in Business and a BA degree in Advertising Design at NYIT, which led me to working in ad production at Time Inc. in NY City where I worked on Sports Illustrated, People and Time magazines.

Art still nagged at me, so I earned a Master’s in Art Education at LIU, CW Post on Long Island.  I then married and relocated to North Carolina. Certified K-12, I taught art in both public and private schools. It wasn’t until I took a pastel portrait class though that I found my true passion.

Pastels quickly became my obsession. I found that creating pet and people portraits provided me with personal satisfaction and professional success. I have since expanded my media to include acrylics and oils, and painting landscapes plein aire .

Pet and Children Commission work and teaching keeps me busy these days as well as volunteering at the Chatham Arts Gallery in downtown Pittsboro, NC. 

Awards include the Fine Art League of Cary Art Shows, Local Color Gallery's First Paint Out 2006 as well as the NC State Fair. One-woman shows have been at Jordan Hall Art Center, Cary, NC in 2002, Studio 123, Apex NC in 2003, Apex Gallery in 2004, Carolina Silver Co. in Cary 2005 and 2006, featured artist at Cary Gallery of Artists in May 2006 and featured artist at Fusions Gallery in Pittsboro October 2006. 

Cary News - “Names and Faces” Aug. 1, 2002 featured me and my pastel portrait work, as did the Apex Herald that same year.  Cary Magazine's Sept/Oct 2006 featured my work on their Perspective Page and in 2007 Nov/Dec's 15-501 Magazine ran a photo of my Chatham County Donkey "Hello There!" I have done a live demo of my work at Chatham Arts Gallery, August 2009.

You can find my work at the Chatham Arts Gallery in Pittsboro, NC as well as with the Pastel Society of NC's shows.

I currently reside in Pittsboro, NC with my husband Eric and my Bichon Frise, Summer.