Born in the USA, my studies in art in Chicago were cut short by an oversized sense of romance and adventure. I ended up finishing University in Turkey and started teaching English Literature, Peace Studies, and Community Involvement at the secondary and university level. I continued studying art, working in the studios both virtual and face-to-face of such artists as Orhan Taylan, Zooey Frank, Ronnie Landfield, Ricky Mujica, Beth Allison, Paula Dunne, Rebecca Crowell, and Jerry McLaughlin.

My art is rooted in the place I live in and love. Anatolia and in particular Istanbul is a place of historical layers: Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Turkish. Conquerors attempted to destroy it but the city and land have always survived. Now the dangers of limitless building and disregard for nature are even more harmful. My art reflects the myriad layers of this ancient city split between 2 continents. With oil paints mixed with cold wax medium, I depict translucent layers upon layers of history both geological and human.

I am fascinated by the interplay between human endeavor and nature as I observe how the timeless plains of Anatolia absorb but are scarred by civilizations. Stones are placed, topple, then are replaced. Using oil and cold wax is, I feel, the perfect medium to reflect this scarring. I build up layers and then like an archeologist dig back into them to reveal what lies beneath.

My work depicts the beauty of the seas, the steppes, and the tired hills. These natural shapes overpower the artificial human-made shapes perched upon them.

The resulting paintings are imbued with hope as the land has survived, despite centuries of human misuse. As long as we do not lose hope and we work to ensure the well-being of Mother Earth, she WILL survive, albeit with layers of scars and memories.