During the 1980’s I completed a Stained Glass Association of America artist apprenticeship in traditional glass painting methods. For a number of years I worked with Stained Glass Associates near Raleigh , NC, drawing cartoons (the working drawing of a stained glass window) painting and restoring leaded glass. During this time I studied glass painting with John Nusbaum of Glassmasters, New York. Mr. Nusbaum was working on a French medieval window restoration project at the Cloisters in New York, while I observed and worked on my assignments.

By the 1990’s my attention turned to fine crafts. Crafts being very important in the arts and culture of North Carolina I attended classes at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, NC and became an exhibiting member of Piedmont Craftsmen Guild in Winston-Salem, NC. Selected shows and awards include; The Halpert Biennial, Mark Leach, Juror, Appalachian State University , Boone NC;
Best in Show, The 1993 Richmond Craft and Design Show, Ward Dubet, Juror; Richmond’s 1708 Gallery Annual Juried Show, award from Juror, Eleanor Heartney; Magic City Art Connection, Birmingham, AL. Award of Excellence, Rick Lowe, Juror; Solo show 1995, ( Searching for Perfection) The Torpedo Factory Target Gallery, ,Alexandria, Va; The 1997 Smithsonian Craft Show.

2000-2007 my work explored the subject of identity and gender. Using diverse media I created altered dresses, beaded fiber art, box art with found materials, shrines, collages and paintings. Selected shows include: The American Craft Council Show, Atlanta; (A Women’s Place) St. Petersburg Florida Center for the Arts, Invitational 2001; Exhibition, (The Power of Excellence:) The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem; (From Foundation to Ornamentation) The Bra Show at the ARC Art Center, Chicago; The 2007 Philadelphia Museum of art Craft Show.

2004-2007 I left crafts behind after 2007 and began experimenting with layered glass in boxes and painting in oils on glass. I no longer worked in a glass studio, but greatly missed working with glass. Selected exhibitions and awards include; Mark Maseoka Jurors award, Saint Louis art fair 2007; Exhibition at Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art (Grand Arts at Green Hill) Juror Sean Kelly of Grand Arts Kansas City and Sean Kelly Gallery New York, traveled the state of NC to select “The 23 most innovative artists in North Carolina.”

In the last three years I have reinvented my approach to glass, creating my own technique, combining all my previous experience in diverse mixed media. I connected with Alaster Sooke’s quote in his review (Beauty has made a come back) for Richard Wright’s Turner prize winning gold leaf painting. “It is only natural when we feel surrounded by darkness and chaos that we yearn for things that are luminous and orderly or to put it another way beautiful. “ My work addresses physics,, the environment, time and the power of light and reflection. I exhibited this work at The Artists Project, during Artropolis week. Chicago, ,2008, and Pool Art Fair, 2008 and 2009 during Armory Week in New York.

Selected Publications: Books, Altered Art and Personal Shrines, Lark publishing; Book Cover, Paper Dolls in Contemporary Art, ,Lark Publishing; Review, Tampa Tribune, ,2001 ( A women’s Place) ; Review, 2004 Art Papers, Artspace Mixed Media Invitational; Art+Auction (photo), Art Basel Miami schedule of satellite fairs,,2008; Bridge Art Fair Catalog ,2008; Pool art fair catalog 2009 Metro Magazine, Artist At Large, Raleigh, December 2009

Collections: Wachovia Bank, The SAS Institute, Mary Jo and Richard Bell, Bell Design Group Raleigh NC, Reynolds Price, Rick Woldenberg, Marsha and Harry Thalheimer, Richmond Va.