My goal is to always be true to my passions in life; to explore and discover, to see my world with childlike wonder, and share my vision of those wonders through my artwork. I am happily, exploring life’s wonders through paint, paper, texture, dynamic color and bold design. My exploration into art was literally “eye-opening”. It quickly became a passion and forever became the best description of who I am. There is no better feeling than when someone makes a connection with your artwork. They may share your love of color or interest of subject, or may not be able to explain their excitement at all. “Successful” art should excite the senses of the viewer…it does for me.
I would describe myself as a southern expressionist; being heavily influenced by my surroundings and bringing the experiences of growing up in the South, into my artwork. I grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida, and attended the Artquest School of Art & Design; squeezing in classes between working and raising a family. We moved to the Melbourne area in 1996 and I continued to take classes and workshops with several wonderful artists living in the area. I paint and teach in my studio, Artescape, in Historic Downtown Melbourne, Florida.
EDUCATION & WORKSHOPS
Artquest School of Art & Design
1994-96
Continuing Education/Ringling School of Art
2001-11
Brevard Art Museum
1996-05
EXPERIENCE
Art teacher | private and group
1996 – present
Gallery President | Fifth Avenue Art Gallery
2011
Gallery associate | Fifth Avenue Art Gallery
2007-present
Gallery associate | The Downstairs Gallery
1997-2006
Vice President/show chair | Strawbridge Art League
Juried Exhibition Committee | Brevard Art Museum
EXHIBITIONS & RECOGNITION
February 2018, Artist In Residence, Viera High School, Brevard County, Fl2017
Solo Exhibition: All That Matters Is Everything, Gallery 14, Vero Beach, Florida
2017 November 18 & 19, Featured Poster Artist Artworks of Eau Gallie, Sidewalk Art Festival
2017 October, Solo-Exhibition: Dreams and Wishes, Birds and Fishes, Fifth Avenue Art Gallery, Melbourne Florida
2017-2013 Featured Artist Marine Science Center; Turtle Day, Ponce Inlet, Florida
2016 November, Award of Honor, Artworks of Eau Gallie Sidewalk Art Festival
2014 Chair, HOME charity invitational exhibition, Fifth Avenue Art Gallery
2013 Chair, “What A Difference A Day Makes: 24 Hour Art Challenge”, Fifth Ave Art Gallery
2011 Chair, “All 4 Love” charity invitational exhibition at Fifth Ave Art Gallery
2011 Guest speaker at Brevard Art Museum Council of 100 luncheon (April)
2010 Collaborations March 2010 Invitational Exhibition
2009 Chair, “Hopes and Dreams” invitational exhibition at Fifth Ave Art Gallery
2008 Designed Animal Homes Exhibit, Brevard Zoo
2008 Chair; “Give Them the Farm” invitational exhibition at Fifth Ave Art Gallery
2008 Solo exhibition, “Road Trip, impressions of a memory” Fifth Ave Art Gallery
2007 Co-chair; “100% Pure Florida” juried exhibition at Fifth Ave Art Gallery
2007 The Artlist.com Artist of the Month, July
2007 For the Love of Art, etc. Brevard Museum of Art invitational show
2006 Pretty Girls and Robots, Albany, NY
2006 “For the Love of Art II” Brevard Museum of Art invitational November
2006 “Creature Comforts” 2 -artists show, Quique Gallery Cocoa Beach, (Sept)
2006 100% Pure Florida, Fifth Avenue Art Gallery juried show September
2005 Solo-exhibit Brevard Community College/UCF joint Library
2005 Global Arts Experience, 2005 Arts Planner participant
2005 2nd Place; painting, Melbourne Fall Fine Art & Craft Festival
2003 Design animal exhibit marker, Brevard Zoo
2003 Juried Group Exhibit, Brevard Community College, Planetarium
2002 Juried Group exhibit, King Center, Melbourne, Fl
2001-03 Strawbridge Art League Juried Exhibition, Melbourne, Fl
04-06 Strawbridge Art League Juried Exhibition, Melbourne, Fl
PUBLICATIONS
2013 Director, What a Difference a Day Makes: 24 Hour Art Challenge documentary
2011 All 4 Love book, Brevard Art Museum Press First Edition March 2011
2011 Cover Art, Charm On the Spacecoast, April 2011
2010 Cover Art, Florida Today’s, “Cultivating Arts in Brevard” special section Sept 2010
2010 Cover Art, Deland Magazine July/August 2010
2010 Poster Artist, IMAGES Festival of the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, Fl Jan 2010
2010 Florida Today TGIF “The Arts” , article January 22, 2010
2009 Art Business News magazine,Novemeber 2009 image of “On the Reef”
2009 The Canvas Project V2 Encyclopedia, Art House Co-op First Edition October 09
2009 SPACES Space Coast Style & Design July/Aug 09
feature article, “Life-affirming Strokes”
2008 Orlando Home and Leisure magazine May 08
2008 “Road Trip, impressions of a memory” exhibition book
2008 Florida Today, feature article, April 30, 2008
2006 Brevard Live Magazine September 06 featured article
2006 “Our Creature Comforts” exhibition book
2003 Brevard Live Magazine January 03 featured article