It seemed that I have always had a means to communicate—pencil, brush or camera—in my hands. 

 

Some of my earliest memories came from holding a brush, as far back as when I could first grasp an object. I was fortunate enough to come from a long line of innovative, artistic women—role models who always promoted a creative learning environment. 

 

 Raised in New York, I was fortunate to be exposed to some of the greatest and world-renowned centers of art. These hubs of creative thinking presented me with many opportunities to understand and appreciate art on a deep level. 

 

From childhood, I looked to Pre-Raphaelites and photo realists, artists such as Chuck Close and Audrey Flack. I grew up in awe of their skills, creating art so close to photo perfection. Using these masters for inspiration, my dream was also to become an expert, thriving artist. 

 

Following my passions brought me to another famous American city, Chicago. In the "Windy City," I majored in Fine Arts with an emphasis in painting and was mentored under a well-regarded and listed Rogers Park master, Pat Olson. 

 

The contribution of Ms. Olson to my progress can never be understated; she proved to be an strong role model. Under her study, I was pushed to expand my horizons, honing my skills to a level I could not have imagined before. 

 

After college in Chicago, I felt an emotional pull—a desire to surround myself with family and friends. I returned to my adopted home in Florida, and have lived in the Tampa Bay area ever since. 

 

In 2000, I was photographing wildlife as a part of a search for artistic inspiration. At the edge of a shimmering pool of water, I had an epiphany. It was as if the various pieces of my life fell into place neatly. 

I realized with all my travels, there was one constant in my life—water. Remembering the shores of my childhood home in Long Island in New York, to Lake Michigan in Chicago, the beautiful tropics of Tampa Bay, and additionally, being overwhelmed by strong tides in Miami... Water was the constant hold in my life —in all its fluidity, emotional and reflective volatility. 

 

It was a flickering pool of water—the thing that both gives and takes life—where I felt I was witnessing a pure manifestation of passion. It soon became my life's work to recreate these torrid reflections on water. It was a world that moved me deeply, and I felt the only way to describe it was in vivid, vibrant colors. 

 

What began simply as a personal quest to perfect photorealism, now evolved into my next exciting phase—abstracts. To me, the appeal of water is the ultimate in abstract nature—continuously moveable, reflective, emotional. 

 

Through the subsequent years, I have devoted thousands of hours , painting and perfecting my infatuation with water. Today, I maintain a studio in Saint Petersburg, Florida with my loving husband as well as three adorable cats.