In 2002 I received a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education from the University of Toledo followed by a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in 2003, graduating with Magna Cum Laude honors. I majored in printmaking with a minor in drawing and sculpture. I studied the human figure intensely during my studies there. Once I began to teach art I found that I had an even greater longing to create it. Following graduation I began to experiment with color and oil paints, previously devoting myself only to black and white imagery. I developed a strong desire to find a way to be paid for what I love to do.

Portraiture was the natural and obvious progression. It never occurred to me to paint anything but the human figure. The face is fascinating in its subtleties and complexities. Each day I find it challenging, exhilarating, and exhausting at the same time. I am a largely self-taught painter. I began with a series of paintings based on the women and children of the Dominican Republic. I further developed my skills in a small makeshift studio in the southern Italian city of Vasto where my husband and I lived for nearly two years. We traveled through Europe extensively during that time and the imagery I observed continues to be a great inspiration to me.

I am currently a resident of Toledo, Ohio where my portrait studio is also located.

I have been a member of the Portrait Society of America since 2007.