|
 |
|
I was born in the country in North Carolina. Before I was a year old, my father joined the newly formed U.S. Air Force and moved my mother and me to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. After spending time in Florida, our growing family moved to Virginia. When I was seven; our family moved to St. John's, Newfoundland. After a tour there, we moved back to Virginia, where we stayed until moving to Oslo, Norway when I was a teenager. There, we lived in a beautiful mountain village called Sandvika, which overlooked a fjord. While in Norway, I learned to ski, ice skate, and speak a little Norwegian. I also visited Sweden, Finland, and Denmark.
I strongly believe that creativity is one of the greatest gifts given us by our Creator. We all just use the gifts we're given in different ways. I see art and design in nearly everything and am very passionate about it. I could not imagine having a life without creativity involved. In the world today, where there is so much tragedy; I think art is especially important. We can lose ourselves and transcend our sorrows when we create, and truly be in a better and more peaceful world. From the time I was a very small child, I have loved creating things with my own hands. I began to draw at an early age, and learned to sew and embroider from my mother and grandmother (who also taught me to crochet). I taught myself to knit and while living in Norway, I learned the Scandinavian technique of knitting from a neighbor. I once dreamed of becoming a fashion designer and used to spend a lot of time drawing designs for clothing. Nowadays I paint, make my own beads with a torch (lampwork), make beads out of clay; do various types of beadwork and make jewelry. I also combine fiber and beads, and I love mixed media.
I have sold my work through various shops, restaurants, and galleries for the past 20 years. I'm a former member of The Bead Society of Southeastern Virginia, the Tidewater Artists Assoc., The Isle of Wight Arts League, the Suffolk Art League, and the VA. Watercolor Society. I served on the board of the Smithfield Cultural Arts Center for several years, where I had a studio and taught summer art camps for youth. I also taught privately and at art retreats in the area. I taught beading and jewelry making classes at Bead Haven in Hampton, VA. For many years and still teach privately.
I live in Smithfield, Virginia. My beloved husband is still with me in spirit. I have a son and a daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren (all of whom I love very much).
Exhibitions include:
Smithfield Cultural Arts Ctr., Smithfield, VA
Arts Kitchen, Suffolk, VA
The Hermitage, Norfolk, VA
The Smithfield Bakery, Smithfield, VA
Riverview Gallery, Portsmouth, VA
Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC
The Pagan River Shoppes, Smithfield, VA
Morales Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC
Suffolk Art Museum, Suffolk, VA
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Suffolk, VA |
|
Cart
