I am an abstract painter who enjoys painting larger pieces on canvas. I use acrylic paints, pastels, charcoal, oil paint sticks and sometimes spray paint to bring my music inspired paintings to life. I will occasionally create artwork on paper largely for art studies. My creative process starts first and foremost with the music which informs my palette selection and sets the tone for the energy in the work ahead. After this foundation is established, my work is created through intuitive responses and reaction to music, a love of life, and all its experiences.
My love of music started at a young age. My parents played music often in our home. As a young child and teenager, we relocated as a family often to follow my father's career. Music became my first friend in every new town. Even today, my soul deep connection to music drives how I am wired as a human being and an artist. The impact and variety of music utilized to inspire comes out on canvas. As I listen to jazz, you will see more blues and cool colors, hard rock shows up in reds, blacks, and darker blues while alternative music often presents itself with pinks and neutral palettes.
What emerges on the canvas is highly emotional. My paintings are personal, energetic, and universally uplifting. I believe this is a direct and natural extension of my state of being as I am painting. My optimism and love of life is active and present on my completed work. Collectors connect with that feeling and regularly share that my paintings are joyful, upbeat and have a positive vibe.
Influences that you may see threaded through my work include abstract painters like Helen Frankenthaler. Richard Diebenkorn, and Joan Mitchell.
In addition to my artist life, I enjoy a full time career as a technology executive at Microsoft. I am a member of Women in Technology and Executive Sponsor of the Creative Conscious Community which is a joint initiative between Microsoft and LinkedIn to feed and nurture creativity in the arts for its over 180,000 employees. I have a BA in Economics and Social Science from Michigan State University and a MBA in Marketing from American University. I am also a founding board member on the Ted Rullo Foundation (tedrullofoundation.org) an organization dedicated to providing college scholarship to future leaders.
