5% of your purchase goes to The Nature Conservancy, working to create a world where people and nature can thrive!
5% of your purchase goes to The Nature Conservancy, working to create a world where people and nature can thrive!
I’ve always been drawn to the mystery and beauty of wild spaces, where nature has taken over. I’m intrigued by the untamed spaces within ourselves; our restlessness, our obsessiveness, the messiness of being human and our relationship and identity with nature. I’m curious about the many paradoxes within nature and within ourselves. Our strengths and vulnerabilities. Our joys and sorrows. Our goodness and our cruelty. I’m fascinated by organized nature, like gardens and landscapes where people work with nature as conversation and collaborative works of art.
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 lived and taught in Texas and Mexico and I studied Art in Italy, which was a dream come true. My ancestry is Italian on both sides and I’ve always been fascinated by the culture and art in Italy. My heart always longs to return to Italy. Of course. It’s a country FULL of paintings!
It’s no surprise as an artist that I’m a sensitive introvert. Growing up I struggled with debilitating anxiety where I felt so physically ill I couldn’t even leave my house. But there was this part of me that also yearned to travel and explore! Through education, nutrition, and yoga I was able to manage the anxiety. And through art, I was able to transform that buzzing internal energy into something that felt good and meaningful.
When I had my two sons, I loved being a mom, but anxiety struck again leaving me feeling drained and longing to make art. I had this idea of creating a little studio for them to make art next to me. Well…they proceeded to climb me and throw all the art supplies! So, 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 wanted more nature, so we moved from Houston to Austin, Texas where there are endless wild spaces to explore. These years raising my sons in Austin have been wonderful. We spent so many days exploring parks and trails and swimming in creeks, lakes, and natural springs. Now that my sons are teenagers, we spend most of our time on the soccer field and we travel as often as we can to Latin America and Italy.
As any creative introvert knows, having the time and space to focus on artmaking is the most delicious necessity. When my boys grew older, 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.
