About Me
I am an artist, naturalist, and soul care practitioner who is passionate about Nature, Creativity, and the Sacredness of Everyday Life. I hold degrees in Horticulture, Studio Art, and Religion & Ecology, as well as certificates in spiritual direction, master naturalist training, and nature contemplation.
My Story
I am happiest and most content when I’m outdoors. When flowers, trees, birds, butterflies and insects surround me. There, the fragrances of honeysuckle, nicotiana, pines, and moist, rain-drenched earth intoxicate me. Birds, frogs, crickets and cicadas sing to me. The feeling of the sun, wind or rain on my skin soothes, awakens and uplifts me. The act of sowing seeds in the soil renews me. These everyday miracles, these daily blessings, are what form my vision.
Similarly, working with color, texture, layers, patterns, paper, paint, pencils and inks, intrigues and engages me. Combining my love for nature with the mediums of papermaking, drawing, printmaking, painting, and collage, I translate my experiences of these fleeting moments into something tangible.
It is my hope that the art I create encourages others to take a closer look at the wonders in our natural world.
My passion for the beauty of the natural world developed early. Earning an AAS degree in Ornamental Horticulture at the age of 21 was the best foundation I could receive to set me on my journey. Nature, gardening and design have been an integral part of my life. Creative endeavors have opened doors and encouraged me to seek further knowledge. I learned how to make paper from plants and reclaimed materials in 2003. Deciding to continue my formal education, I earned, at the age of 50, a BS degree in Studio Art/Printmaking.
Creating art taught me new lessons. While engaged in the creative process, I often feel connected to something transcendent. There is a letting go and allowing the work to become something bigger than my original intent. Wanting to understand what this “something” was, I went back to school, this time earning a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School, graduating in 2018.
There I studied the connections between creativity, nature, and spirituality. Part of that training was spent as an artist-in-residence at Yale Landscape Lab. My focus was to create art in dialogue with Nature. That experience has changed my approach to art making. Rather than telling my art what I want it to become, I allow art making to be a collaborative experience. I find this way of working to be more meaningful.
Since then, my husband and I moved from Connecticut to the Greater Nashville, TN area. Here I continue to explore new art materials and techniques, the landscapes which surround me, and offer classes, retreats, and spiritual direction.
