The natural world is full of mysterious signs and symbols, both beautiful and frightening hinting at the knowable and the unknowable.  My inner world is fragile, ephemeral and constantly seeking to understand, interpret and find meaning in the messages of the universe.   My work has always been a dialogue between the natural world and my own inner world.  I seek out messages and interpret them through the transformative medium of printmaking.  The resulting images are the meeting place of that dialogue which at it’s best integrates those inner and outer worlds and finds a balance, if not wholeness, as a result. 

For the last twenty-five years I have been actively involved in printmaking and exhibiting my work in the Pittsburgh region and beyond.  I came to Pittsburgh with a BSE in art education from Northern Illinois University and graduate work at the University of Texas in Austin with a printmaking emphasis.  For the past several years I’ve had the privilege of serving as president of Pittsburgh Print Group and have been long time member of that organization.   I am also an exhibiting member of Group A.

I have taught collage and intaglio at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts as well as monitored and worked to maintain facilities for printmaking access members in the PCA print studio.  These experiences have allowed me to make creative connections with many printmakers in the region that has in turn energized and enriched my printmaking practice.   Participation in the printmaking community has also led to some great collaborations prompting experimentation with a variety of methods and materials including prints as part of paintings, prints on glass and on ceramics.  Most recently I have embarked on a challenging long-range collaborative project that explores the elements using the classic materials of paper and ink.   These collaborations have served to stretch my vision as an artist and push back my boundaries while exploiting the endless visual possibilities printmaking provides. 

My individual work is an exploration of themes and ideas that reflect a very inward gaze.   Collage and photo-transfer often serve as the starting points to the expression of both spiritual and emotional concerns and connections.   Captured images provoke and facilitate visual seeking and self-examination.  While drawing and painting are important aspects of what I do, printmaking remains the foundation of who I am and is the heart and soul of my artistic practice.