I have always been an artist, but did not follow that star in education or profession for several years. After I earned a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, I worked at the Washington D.C. headquarters of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs where I spent over 25 years in strategic planning for VA’s national health care delivery system. Shortly before retiring, I discovered and fell in love with silk painting and decided to pursue it as my second career.

I get lost when I am painting, always immersed in the pull between following the dyes as they flow or trying to make them behave to my expectations; the creator and the created captured in every piece. Silk is a beautiful luxurious fabric. I work with dyes that are especially formulated for silk and natural fibers and never cease to be enthralled when I see a finished garment as it flows and shimmers from the wearer’s movement.

ART IS VISIBLE MUSIC. When I create, be it fiber or jewelry, I like to create a sense of movement – a space through which your eyes move, like your ears follow sounds.

SYMMETRY IS OVERATED. One end of a scarf will be different from the other end; one sleeve of a jacket will have a different design than the other; or the entire piece will be a variety of details; all resulting in an overall design that is more interesting but still cohesive.

BALANCE AND HARMONY ARE ESSENTIAL. No matter the variety of color or design in any piece, the whole will be balanced and harmonious. The color, movement, and asymmetry purposely created to blend in a pleasing vision. I want the person who wears the piece to feel special.