Who I Am

My formal training is in the sciences.  I have a BS and MS in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.  I have worked as a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry throughout my adult life.  Now that I’m retired from the corporate world, I can devote much more time to my art.

I’ve always enjoyed handwork and have knitted, crocheted, and embroidered since I was a child.  I discovered beadwork about 20 years ago and have included bead embroidery and off-loom bead weaving in much of my earlier work.  My current interest is in art quilts. I transfer photos to fabric and embellish with extensive hand and machine embroidery.  Pieces are then layered with batting and backing and machine quilted.

I love the surface design and embellishment and include a lot of texture in my work. I’ve also begun exploring stenciling and mono printing with fabric paints along with four paste resists followed by fiber reactive dyes.

I’ve explored the idea of self by incorporating photos of myself in my latest work.  Many of these portraits are quite embarrassing and I celebrate the awkwardness. I like to emphasize my warped sense of humor as often as possible.