I am inspired by grandmother. She grew up in the Roaring Fork community in Gatlinburg, TN. She lived to be 94 yrs old and loved to make things. First, out of need then for joy. She was fantastic. I hand stamp metal and vintage flatware to make jewelry and gifts. I have some of my work in local shops in Clinton, TN where I live.

This Illustration, titled "Fierce" is my representation of the tenacity of the female spirit. In nature spotted Hyenas organize under a matriarch and work together, using teamwork and intelligence to hunt and outwit rivals. They are strong, female opportunists and damn scary.

I am a middle school art teacher and a meditation/mindfulness practitioner. Before college, I had only taken an art class in elementary school. I doodled the comics (mostly Garfield), did NOT draw all the time, and did not have an encouraging family to support my art curiosity. Somehow, I still went for it.... art school made sure to let me know how far behind in knowledge I was...especially during critique.