Artist Statement

My strongest memories from childhood are of being outside, spending time interacting with rocks, bits of moss or bark and imagining them to be anything I wanted. As an only child I was able to walk alone through the forest and envision the natural world around me as my play space. It would transform in my mind to anything I could imagine. This also gave me the time to just look at things, to really see them.  

My mind wanders back to these experiences as I create. I feel the strong pull to focus on natural objects. As an adult I am able to actually transform them and bring a version of the imaginary into the real world.  

I also feel the significance of the collective knowledge of art and craft from the women in my ancestry and use these skills in my creations as an artist with a craft based technique..

About Me 

I was the sixth generation raised on my family farm in Northern Indiana where I inherited a tradition of making. I was the second in my family to graduate from college in art after my grandmother completed a degree in Art at Saint Frances College in the 1930’s. I attended one year at the Otis College of Art and Design studying fine art. Then, completed a degree in Architecture at the College of DAAP at the University of Cincinnati.

I continued to pursue artistic endeavors after college while working and raising a family, but finally discovered my passion for fiber art in 2019. This interest had been nurtured from childhood by both of my grandmothers. One was an amateur seamstress, making all of her and her family’s clothing and the other was a hand quilter and maker. Although very different, they both strove for perfection in their craft. This influence of design, craft, and perfection is an integral part of my work.