TBK

I took my first painting class as an elective in college and that experience irreversibly changed my life. I abandoned my previous career plans, did an about-face, and went to study art education.  Though I didn’t see myself as a natural educator becoming an art teacher kept me connected to the creative lifestyle that I longed for. That first year as an art teacher something magical happened and it continued throughout the next 20 years of my career. Teaching the creative process in all its forms was inspiring and joyful in every way. Some of the most exciting work I have done was during those years.  In collaboration with the school community, I orchestrated huge installations that occupied city blocks, gymnasiums, and hung from three-story ceilings. I created 50 life-size plaster sculptures, multiple 200-foot murals, and several large-scale interactive exhibits. A favorite of those exhibits was a 60-foot jungle that hung from the ceiling made out of garbage. After I retired from teaching in the schools, I was fortunate enough to direct and facilitate an art school from my home studio and open an after-school art program for teenagers with the help of the Sweetwater Center for the Arts in Sewickley, Pa.  I witnessed the beauty of a young person finding safety and comfort in the creative process. I saw firsthand that the process of making art helped them to see the value they bring to this world. I was in constant awe of how the same materials and instructions would render different results. Every artist’s personal narrative is expressed in their artwork and the observer’s own narrative reflects the artist’s work. In 2019, I decided to focus solely on my own journey as an artist, working from my home studio in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. I am a recent member of Associated Artists of Pittsburgh and part of the coaching team of Learning to See, an online program and community dedicated to the education and development of artists from around the globe, led by artist Gabriel Lipper. I have had numerous commissions, including large scale murals and have exhibited my work at two local galleries; Exposure and The Sewickley Gallery and Frame Shop.  My personal work explores autobiographical themes incorporating imagery that often has dual interpretations. I merge figuration with abstraction using patterns which mirror or echo the patterns I see in my own life. I work in layers of acrylic, oil and spray paint incorporating hand made stencils. I continue to find meaning in my work and evolve as an artist, painter and educator.