I Have Been a Creative Soul My Whole Life, Reinventing Myself Along the Way...
Ever since I was a child I loved making art, whether it be drawing, painting, collage, etc. Art school was a natural decision for me. I attended The University of the Arts, studied graphic design and graduated in 1985 with the Art Director’s Club Gold Medal and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. I spent the next chapter of my life working as a graphic designer in New York City and New Jersey.
I discovered that no matter how much you plan, life seems to throw you curveballs. In 1992 I survived lymphoma, in 1994 miraculously had my first of two children and decided to leave graphic design and become a stay-at-home mom. I continued to do some freelance work while at the same time I began to explore the playfulness of fine art in areas such as pottery, jewelry making, painting and photography. So I decided to put my structured designer brain aside and let my inner boho artist fully out. I have always loved to doodle abstract designs with a black marker and began playing with watercolors as a meditational tool when I was sick. Both of which inspired me to create my first collection of “mandalas”.
My mandalas are colorful and funky with an organic feel and I pair them with uplifting quotes, mantras and other inspirational words. This form of expression is a perfect union between my structured graphic design background and my inner artist. My artwork is a combination of composition, symmetry and color I learned in design, mixed with my organic and whimsical line work. The creation of each one is a spiritual and meditative process for me.
I have since expanded my creative life to include mixed media art, stamping and other printmaking techniques. I love to explore different mediums and I love at times to steer away from the blank watercolor paper and play with creating handmade objects such as my wooden ornaments, glass pendants, journals and other gift items.
Nature, color, and pattern are what inspire me most and photography is my way of gathering that inspiration everywhere I go. I see objects and landscapes as texture, shape and line, before I see what they actually are. A pile of garbage or a crack in the sidewalk can be as beautiful to me as a sunset. I also love rearranging furniture, decorating and scouring craft fairs, flea markets and garage sales for great finds.
I still love typography and do some graphic design on occasion for family and friends. You can take the girl out of the design studio, but you can’t take the design out of the girl! My graphic design education is what taught me was how to really “see” the world around me and I use that to find my inspiration in everything I do.
There is a saying, “Do one thing every day that makes you happy.” I try to be creative in some small way every day even if it’s just a small sketch. Etsy has been a great place for me to showcase and sell my work. I hope someday to maybe even branch out and license out some of my work for a line of home goods, fabric textiles, paper goods or yoga clothing. I am lucky to be able to do what I love each day. My family is very supportive; I couldn’t do it without them.
Buzzworthy Info...
• I am a proud member of The Artisan Group, a celebrity gifting organization that has allowed my work to be included in a number of gifting opportunities including GBK Production’s Celebrity Gift Lounge for the 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards and GBK Production’s Luxury Celebrity Gift Lounge for the 2019 Golden Globes.
• My “Mother’s Love” mandala was featured in Louise Gale’s book “Botanical Mandalas” available on Amazon.
And that’s my story!
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PS~Dropping Some Knowledge: The word “mandala” comes from Sanskrit, meaning “circle”. Each one has a concentric structure of visual elements symbolizing things like unity, wholeness and harmony. They appear in nature, astronomy, art, architecture, gardens, are used in healing practices and are found in cultures all over the world.