Born in Dallas, I learned about fine art early on, studying classical piano, music theory, art history and painting, attending art museums, symphonies, plays and ballet performances.
After a corporate sales career I finished my BFA at UTA (2005), studying painting (oils, watercolor, acrylics), drawing, life drawing, printmaking and writing. I received academic honors/awards including the Freshman Essay Writing Award at UTA and have several illustrated publications, (one was used in the curriculum of an advanced writing class at UTA). (Thanks to Benito Huerta, Marilyn Jolly, Carol Benson, Billy Hassell and many others).
I earned my MFA at TCU in 2008. (Thanks to Jim Woodson, my advisor, Ron Watson, Susan Harrington, David Conn and others). My paintings have received recognition including Sound & Communications Magazine (12/22/08) featuring a photograph of my painting inside the boardroom at Daimler FW. I have participated in numerous exhibitions and three solo shows, one at the Arlington Museum of Art (2008) and in multiple juried shows, including one at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary Gallery Dallas (2001), Craighead Green Gallery Dallas (2008) and others. I have work in private collections and in corporate entities.
I participate in the annual Preservation is the Art of the City Exhibition, presented by HFW Historic Fort Worth, whose work provides important context for today, preserving our culture/history, telling the stories of past people, places and events.
My husband, Michael, and I live in Arlington and our large extended family is spread throughout the DFW Metroplex and beyond. The Dallas Public Schools provided some of my early art/music/literature education, which helps develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. I hope schools today can provide these benefits as an important part of early childhood education, providing a foundation for a lifetime.
