About
Artist · Educator · Therapist · Psychotherapist
For decades, my work has shown me that art is more than a practice—it is a language, a refuge, and a pathway toward wholeness.
Drawing from both clinical experience and lived creative practice, I offer workshops, professional trainings, and community-based programs that invite reflection, connection, and transformation. Whether working with individuals, clinicians, educators, or organizations, I create spaces that feel grounded, compassionate, and expansive.
At the heart of everything I do is a belief in the restorative power of creativity. I am passionate about helping others discover how art can become a trusted companion in times of challenge—a tool for expression, resilience, and meaningful healing.
Artist Statement
When I was in junior high, an art teacher told me that art wasn’t for me. I’ve been proving him wrong ever since.
As an artist, I work across a wide range of mediums: stone, found objects, paint, yarn, and just about anything that can be transformed into art. In life, too, I move between disciplines: art, psychology, and education.
A common thread in all my work is the exploration of thoughts, emotions and beauty. I invite viewers and participants alike to look deeper into my creations—and the stories they tell—to discover and apply what resonates most personally for the viewer. I am trained as an artist, teacher, art therapist, and family therapist. All these identities appear in my work. My creative process is a way of teaching, healing, explaining, and processing my own life experiences.
My artwork has been exhibited and archived internationally. I am an award-winning member of the National Association of Women Artists, established in 1889, an amazing organization representing some of the world’s most accomplished women artists. I was honored with the Louis Harris Hammerschlag International Award for my stone sculpture among numerous other awards. My work is archived in institutions including the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Guggenheim and others.
In both my life and my art, I create with a commitment to go beyond myself in search of truth–what is known, what is hidden, and what remains to be discovered. I am always exploring love, pain, and mystery, striving to bring light to darkness.
Biography
Representation
Middle Ridge Winery, Art Gallery, Idyllwild, CA, 2011-Present
Exhibitions – National & International
National Association of Women Artists
One Art Space
Hollis Taggart Gallery
Leonovich Gallery
The New York Club
National Association of Women Artists Gallery, 80 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY
Solo Exhibitions
Pergolina, Toluca Lake, CA, 2015
Kennrick Gallery, Stroud, U.K., 2015
Re-Gallery, Solana Beach, CA, 2010–2015 (solo and ongoing exhibits)
Stroud Valley Pegasus Art, Center, Stroud CO, UK
Rancho San Diego Library, CA
Group Exhibitions
Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana, CA, 2010, 2012
Orange County Center for Contemporary Arts, Santa Ana, CA
Laband Art Gallery, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, 2018
University of Pennsylvania Hub-Roberson Gallery, PA
Fullerton State College Art Gallery, Fullerton, CA
Park Exhibit Center, Idyllwild, CA, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2020
Harlem School of the Arts, Harlem, NY
New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA
Katrina through the Eyes of Children, New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans LA
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
City of San Diego Art Program, San Diego, CA
Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside, CA
Stroud Valley Pegasus Art, CO.UK
Colbalt Gallery, San Diego, CA
Middle Ridge Winery & Art Gallery, Idyllwild, CA
Del Mar City Hall, Del Mar, CA
Mingei International Museum, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
Church of St. Peter, London, U.K. – World’s 6 Top Cutting Edge Artists
Awards
NAWA Metal of Honor Morse Genius Foundation Award
President’s Award, National Association of Women Artists, NY, NY, 2014
Humanitarian Art Therapy Award
Margo Harris Hammerschlag Biennial International Stone Sculpture Award, $5,000, 2015
Leadership Award, Art Therapy Leader for the response teams to Hurricane Katrina
New Orleans Museum of Art: Katrina Through the Eyes of Children curated organized this exhibit that was shown in numerous venues across the US
NAWA Carol A. O’Neil Memorial Award
Education
Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA · Bachelor of Arts, Education
Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, WA
Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA · Illustration
Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA ‚ Master of Arts · Art, Marriage and Family Therapy
St Ives School of Painting, England
