Bio

Who am I? Good question.

I am a small-town girl from rural Missouri who loves afternoon drives on old dirt roads. While working towards my MFA at the University of South Florida, I fell in love with the ocean. Many years later, I followed that love for being near the beach to Wilmington.

Starting with a childhood obsession with Rainbow Brite and color books, I have been pursuing a life as an artist. I have a studio where I experiment with different mediums but primarily focus on painting and drawing. I am also a graphic/web designer and educator. In my body of work, I investigate the longing to grasp onto the transient aspects of memories, dreams, spirituality, and self-assessment as they manifest within spatial contexts. My creative process falls within the investigation of deconstructing and recreating forms and spaces. As a designer, I am a passionate and creative problem solver with a deep appreciation for design’s impact on visual communication and branding. As an educator, I love telling the stories behind the images and helping others learn how to visually express ideas and articulate their conclusions by being critically intuitive.

When I am not being creative in my studio while true crime or entrepreneurial podcasts play in the background, I am outside. I enjoy finding a new spot on a quick Sunday road trip, exploring Wilmington, visiting family, to packing my passport for an extended faraway stay. In addition to travel, I am a water-child at heart, finding peace in being outside whether it is biking, swimming, or running (or…you can call it walking). I love hanging with friends at a brewery or at the beach and being part of their competitive teams either at wiffleball or a game of trivia (even if we don’t always win.)

I received my BFA in Painting from Missouri State and MFA from the University of South Florida and years later returned for a BS in Graphic Design. I have taught a range of classes at the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, and Columbia College, ranging from Design, Drawing, Painting, and Concepts to Art Appreciation and beginning Art History courses. I have actively shown my work both locally and nationally.