Creating images has been a passion of mine since childhood. Expanding my knowledge base has also been a theme in my life. I have two degrees in art education, an MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, seven years of study in drawing and classical design systems at the Myron Barnstone Studios, and a diploma from the Society of Botanical artists in London.  I love to share what I learn, which led me to teaching at Kutztown and Lehigh Universities. I am currently a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, where I teach various illustration classes, including pattern design.

  

Drawing is at the heart of my work. Whether the design remains close to the subject or becomes a stylized interpretation, it all begins with exploration, careful observation and the ultimate translation of form and structure that drawing provides.

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I have had a love of patterns since my mother brought home piles of presentation boards from her interior design classes and I loved to study the pattern designs on each one. The methods and motifs fascinated me, especially those with botanical imagery. Searching for the movements and forms in nature led me to discover suggestions of design structures that contain formal geometry. The more I looked into my favorite designs in history, the more I saw how important a role geometry has played and how much dedication was involved to realize a timeless design. I hope to continue that tradition.