The most unique and influential moments from my arts education began when I was a young girl. In elementary school, I was able to go and help the art teacher in the morning set up her materials, and organize for her. I loved that special attention, and being in the art room surrounded by possibility. Around that same age, I started to help my mom create her art; my father and I used to go to the Irondequoit beach of Lake Ontario and collect driftwood for my mom to paint.  My mom would paint Santa Claus on the driftwood, and she used to make dolls, teddy bears and paint on windows that she would sell. It was wonderful to be able to help my mom with these creations, and she inspired me to make my own. I can vividly remember helping to paint faces on the dolls that she made, and giving suggestions for their clothing. A few years later, art was still my favorite hobby. When I was sick from school my mom would take me to Joanne Fabrics and she would let me pick out a clay figurine that I would bring home and meticulously paint- not with colors straight from the containers, but with colors that I had mixed myself, I was probably 8 years old. Along with the acrylic paints that I used, we used to have a sewing basket that we kept in a cupboard above the fish tank. Some days I would get the basket down and I would hand sew little blankets, or clothes for my dolls, or as gifts, I loved digging through the basket and finding assorted things that I could put together. Around this same age I became interested in making jewelry and I started decorating a dollhouse for my niece. 

As I grew older, my interest in the arts became more than just a hobby. As a high school student I took as many art classes as I could, I even chose pottery instead of lunch and was able to eat while I worked. My parents supported my interest in art, and I remember my father driving me around to different places in Rochester so that I could do my photography assignments. My mom would help me figure out how to push my ideas further, and both of my parents encouraged me to pursue art after high school. I am very fortunate to have parents who have encouraged my art for my entire life, but I am also so fortunate to have parents that appreciate and make art themselves. 

I have always enjoyed a variety of materials to work with, and I find comfort and joy in many things. As I have grown older I have realized that the medium I truly love and am the most drawn to is mixed media collage. I enjoy the ability to take something and turn it into a new artwork, I love recycling old materials and giving them new life. The process of cutting or ripping and arranging pieces together, and planning out the layers in a particular order is a process that I thoroughly enjoy. The artwork that I have made as a reflection of my growth as an artist represents many of the materials that I love to work with, and how I manipulated the materials with my hands. 

For all of the comfort

frustration,

and growth

For all of the moments

and hours and 

days

I hope you’ll stay with me

and help me create