At the end of 2011, my husband and I, along with our two young daughters (both still in diapers) made our way to Ventura, CA from our home in Jersey City, NJ. We've lived in Ventura ever since, now with three school-aged kids and our Goldendoodle. When the kids were younger, I spent most of my time focused on being their primary caregiver. As they started going to school, I took on volunteer roles and worked various part-time jobs. It’s a challenging juggling act. 

Recent Years

In 2018, I celebrated my 40th birthday. This milestone birthday prompted me to incorporate more art into my life. I participated in a community art project. I started doing more art because of my kids, like painting rocks and other small, fun projects. Then, I had a friend approach me about working with her to run a summer art camp for kids. That led to testing out different art projects for kids ultimately resulting in 3 weeks of art camp in 2018 and 2019. I enjoyed teaching art to kids and wanted to have my own art practice. I thought, “How can I teach art if I’m not making art myself?” and for a moment I thought I wanted to be an art teacher and ended up going back to school for it in 2019. (See what I mean by perennial student?) 

I started to experiment with watercolors, various drawing techniques and eventually mixed-media in 2019. This is what prompted me to start an Instagram page for my art and now this website. This is also when I started my first 100 Day Project, which is a self-directed online art project. 

My first 100 Day project led to my first sales, which led me to create more art and participate in my first Boutique (school fundraiser), and then an exhibit. I also started my part-time job at the Santa Paula Art Museum in early 2020 which opened the door for my first mural opportunity, a silver lining of the early days dealing with the pandemic. I have since completed several mural projects which you can view in my portfolio.

The Early Days

It wasn’t just one thing that piqued my interest in art, but many moments throughout childhood.

Early memories of art include drawing (copying comic strip drawings, using step-by-step drawing books); learning calligraphy in elementary school, designing and making banners in middle school for my soccer teams and 8th grade class banner (using felt), taking a studio art class in high school, as well as photography and interior design class through a college extension program. 

I’ve always had a deep appreciation for art – going to art museums, being drawn to public art installations, taking photographs of art that I found interesting.

Behind the Scenes

Making art has become an important outlet for me. My creative practice is a way to support my mental health – creating art to process feelings, a pause from spinning thoughts and big emotions. 

It wasn’t until my youngest child started kindergarten that I began a consistent art practice. The 100 Day projects that I’ve done have helped me tremendously with that. Just showing up for myself and doing a lot of experimenting with paints and different art materials.

While my artistic style is always changing, my art has been a tool of self-discovery that includes bright, bold colors, abstract patterns, and crisp lines influenced by mid-century modern design. Repetitive lines are a recurring theme in my work, as the process is meditative and therapeutic.  Drawing patterns and color swatching are also my jam. I embrace both organic shapes and geometric elements in my abstract work. 

My favorite art activities are color swatching and color mixing, drawing patterns, and exploring materials. The artistic process allows me to express myself, to get into flow, and to be present, focusing on what’s in front of me. Art is also important to me because it has the power to evoke emotion, bring awareness to social issues, commemorate or celebrate history/a moment in time, invigorate a space and engage a community. 

Education & Experience

• University of California, Irvine / Bachelor of Arts Degree, Social Science with a specialization in Multicultural Studies (2000)

• Parsons - The New School for Design / Certificate in Interior Design and Architecture Studies (April 2008)

• Ran kids summer art camp in 2018 and 2019

• Ventura College - Child Development & Education / Associate Teacher Certificate (May 2019)

• Creative Visionary Program / CVP is an intensive, 12-week online artist program from Art2Life, run by artist Nicholas Wilton and team (2020 & 2022)

• Vita Art Center’s BIG LOVE Valentine’s Day Exhibit / Artists received 4 canvas panels, sized 6” x 8”. Sold all 4 pieces. (Feb 2020)

• Santa Paula Art Museum: “Work From Home” / Exhibition of artworks created close to home during the COVID pandemic by 50 distinct California artists (Sept 18, 2021 through Jan 9, 2022)

• Authentic Obsessions podcast, episode 67

• Surface Design Immersion Course / Immersion is an 8-week online artist program to learn Adobe Illustrator, the art of surface pattern design, how to become a licensing artist, and build a career as a creative entrepreneur, run by Bonnie Christine and team (2023)

• From Paint to Pattern / 10-week immersive course of professional training in Adobe Photoshop with Sarah Watts and team (2023)