About the Artist

BIOGRAPHY, HONORS & AWARDS, and RESUME

I was brought up in the country, in Malibu, California, in a family of six children. The few people living there at the time had lots of animals, commonly including horses, donkeys, sheep and goats. We even had an alligator, a barn owl and a skunk as pets for a while. The landscape was beautiful and full of wildlife. Since we were so far from cultural city life, to entertain myself I found doing artwork a powerful outlet for my energy and imagination. I never thought of myself as an artist until adulthood because everyone in my family was very creative. We made our own clothes and gifts, built forts in the fields, stage sets for our backyard plays and constantly helped redecorate our home. With such a large family we had limited means, so we learned how to create whatever we wanted ourselves. It just seemed natural to us.

According to my mother when I was three years old I laid down on a piece of fabric, drew a line around myself and cut out my first dress. I sewed it by hand, and wore it to the grocery store. I remember my first encounter with clay in kindergarten. sculpted an elephant and I knew then that I wanted to sculpt for the rest of my life. I also loved to paint, and from an early age my teachers considered me advanced in the field of art. I continued taking art classes in high school and in college. As a young mother I made all kinds of dolls, and marionette animals sculpted out of oven fired clay, with hand carved wooden limbs and elaborate costumes.

I started my career in interior design, then after having my children, I began a business called The Royal Elferie, and designed and manufactured elaborately costumed elf, rabbit and monkey dolls.

As my children grew, I took classes at the Palos Verdes Art Center in painting, drawing, and ceramics. Sculpting was so magnified in my mind, that I was afraid to take the sculpting class, but my son encouraged me to enroll. From the first class sculpting seemed very natural and almost effortless to me. I realized I had actually been sculpting all my life without knowing it. I thought I was just "making dolls".

I majored in art history at the University of California at Los Angeles. The sculptors Bernini, Carpeaux and Canova have influenced my figurative work with their romantic subject matter and flowing baroque movement. Rodin has influenced me in his abbreviated style and textural approach, and the play of light and shadows over his forms. Antoine Bayre has influenced me by his animal sculptures with their convoluted shapes and intertwining compositions.

Traveling to places like Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe have influenced my artwork. I love the culture and countryside of France, and I speak the language. My dream is to stay in a French farmhouse or chateau every year to accumulate visual material and experiences to inspire my work.

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