I was born at home in a small town in Wisconsin. Growing up I spent a lot of time in the forest and lakes of northern Wisconsin fishing, hunting, swimming and walking with my dad and step-mom. My mom taught her to draw, sew, grow, and preserve food-my mom is a maker-I inherited this from her. At ages seven, ten, thirteen, and sixteen I witnessed the the home births of my four younger siblings. (my mom likes to make things and babies).
At the age of eighteen I moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to attend the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. I did a semester at PNCA in 2001 then in 2002 I graduated from MIAD with a BFA in Printmaking. Living in both a rural and an urban environment was a defining element in my upbringing. Other influential experiences included an internship and residency at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, a trip to the Chicago Science and Industry Museum where I saw an exhibit of sliced cadavers suspended in formaldehyde and an Eco-Psychology class, and working at an environmental paper company- Living Tree Paper Co. may art exhibits, artists, festivals and friends have been influential…too many to list here.
After a couple of attempts, I made Oregon my permanent home in 2005. Most of my time as an Oregonian has been spent in Eugene where I became immersed in the rich yoga community there. In Eugene I worked as a graphic designer while continuing to show work in local and regional spaces.
A culmination of circumstances and influences lead me to pursue an MFA in AC+D. Right now I am focusing on creating fecund objects from paper, plants and seeds.
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