Mélange - The beauty that emerges from life’s chaotic or broken pieces. This body of work is a figurative mix of different elements, cultures, or styles coming together. I examine emotion, identity, resilience and human connection through portraits and images that feel both deeply personal and universally recognizable. By layering beautiful, heavily textured, handmade paper, I create figures that are contemplative, vulnerable, self-possessed, and resilient. The disciplined construction of every fragment of paper, mirrors the building, beauty and complexity of life.
About Me - My creative foundation was shaped early through my parents love and collection of art. Originally from California, I received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California Berkeley, before moving to Kansas City where I live with my husband. Our four children and four grandchildren have also made Kansas City their home.
Once our children were in high school and college, I co-founded Youth Ambassadors, a Kansas City not for profit designed to empower urban youth with social, emotional, life and career skills. After ten years at the helm of Youth Ambassadors, I retired to become a full-time artist, bringing the same intentionality, discipline, and emotional intelligence into my fine art practice. In addition to our love of being grandparents, my husband and I also enjoy exploring all that is outside the comfortable confines of our bubble.