The Border Artists 
I was born and raised on a wheat farm in north-central Idaho where my parents still live. My interest in becoming an artist came later in life, but the seed was planted at a very early age watching my mother paint in the utility room of our house. Eventually I went on to receive my BFA in studio painting at Boise State University in 1992. I was hooked on art and found my home in painting and sculpting. Four years later, graduate school brought me to Las Cruces. After traveling throughout Europe and spending most of my time in Spain, it was important to be in a location that was alive with culture. I received my MFA in studio painting in 1999 and have been teaching foundation courses at New Mexico State University for the past eight years.
Since graduate school, my art has become more autobiographical and was first centered on my identity and my relationship with my family. Over the years it has migrated to my connections between memories of my childhood and my relationship with myself as an adult. There is something interesting and challenging in creating visual imagery that stems from memory and mixes in or separates from the present moment. Once I made the decision to have my work reflect more of an autobiographical context, it felt as if I had opened a well of imagination and empowerment as a visual artist. My imagery reflects the visual vocabulary that I have been using for a while such as the stitch marks and the silhouette shape of the house. The longer I work with this vocabulary, more meaning is attached to these visual elements and their meanings change form according to the context of the composition. My work reflects my interest in space and place and how memory operates within these realms.