and my work

Nature is where I feel most at home, most inspired, and most alive! Growing up in the huge city of Houston, Texas, there weren’t a lot of wild spaces to explore. But I remember how much I loved climbing trees in my backyard, playing in the leaves, and listening to the birds after the rain. I was also interested in drawing people and their emotions. I like to combine both nature and humans, the symbolism of the natural world, and the relationship between them.

I studied Studio Art and Art History at Houston Community College and the University of Houston where I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and a Master of Art Education. I studied Art in Italy for a month, which was a dream come true! I’m Italian, American and I’ve always been fascinated by Italian culture and the emotions and storytelling in Italian art. I have lived and taught in Texas and Mexico, where I also fell in love with the vibrancy and warmth of Mexico.

I married, helped raise my very creative stepdaughter, and had my two very energetic sons. I loved being a mom, but as an introvert, their high energy left me feeling drained and longing for time to focus and make art. We ended up spending most of our time at the park, building with sticks, looking for colorful leaves, and climbing trees. That’s when I remembered how exploring in nature revived and inspired me! I saw how being in nature calmed my sons too. They were completely engaged and in their element. While in nature, my mind was flooded with ideas for art. We moved to Austin, Texas where there are endless wild places to explore.

As any creative introvert knows, having the time and space to focus on artmaking is the most delicious necessity. When my boys started school, I decided to indulge the necessity of my being and MAKE ART! For a living. Like my life depended on it. I love teaching too, and my goal is to create and share nature-inspired art lessons that get people out exploring in nature. And to create lessons based on my travels in my favorite land, Italy!