My mother painted, as did her father, so my interest in art was always encouraged and supported. I spent my senior year in high school in the art department - almost literally, (when we weren't skipping school to head into NYC to spend the day at the Metropolitan Museum or the Whitney, or....). I was extremely lucky that my high school art department had a creative and dedicated teaching staff. I went on to study art in New Jersey and New York City before completing my BA at the University of Minnesota. After earning an MA in Therapeutic Recreation, also from the U of MN, I worked for many years in the social services field. During this time my art focus slipped off the tracks and was relegated to sketches done on vacations and some weekends.
About 25 years ago I made a decision to make the time for what I had always loved; I dusted off my old art materials and dove in. Since then my focus has been on working in watercolor. I worked on the Horizon Series for many years and, more recently, have also been exploring non-objective work.
Born: New Jersey, USA
Education: Ridgewood School of Art, Ridgewood, NJ
New York Phoenix School of Design, New York, NY
University of Minnesota, BA Liberal Arts, Major in Studio Arts
University of Minnesota, MA Therapeutic Recreation
Selected Exhibitions & Awards:
2025 2025 Invitational Exhibit, Northfield Arts Guild, Northfield, MN
Featured Artist, Seasons Gallery, Hudson WI
Northern Lights Juried Art Exhibition, White Bear Lake, MN
2024 National Watercolor Society & Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolor International Exchange Exhibition
2023 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, First Place (Watercolor, Gouache, Casein, Tempera)
Featured Artist, Seasons Gallery, Hudson, WI
Northern Lights International Juried Art Exhibition, White Bear Lake, MN
2022 Chroma: A Spectrum of Beauty from the North East Mpls Arts District, MSP Airport
Northern Lights Juried Art Exhibition, White Bear Lake, MN
2021 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, Margaret Bromschwig Modern Design Award
2020 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, Victor Gilbertson Watercolor Award
2020 Color & Texture: Experienced through Abstracted Landscapes with painter Katie Clymer, Seasons on St Croix Gallery, Hudson WI
2019 Studio Pintura Watercolor Exhibition, Honorable Mention, Minneapolis, MN
2019 Nibikaang - From the Water, Watermark Art Center, Bemidji, MN
2019 Northern Lights Exhibition, Judge’s Choice Award, White Bear Lake, MN
2018 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition
2017 Art Inspired by Place, with artists Colleen Riley & Patrick Plautz, Seasons on St Croix Gallery, Hudson, WI
2016 Artistry Awash, 8 MN Watercolor Artists, Bloomington Art Center, Bloomington, MN
2016 Girlfriends, 8 women artists, Seasons on St Croix Gallery, Hudson, WI
2015 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, Honorable Mention, St Paul, MN
2014 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, Honorable Mention & Friends of the Hopkins Center for the Arts Award, St Paul, MN
2013 Minnesota Watercolor Society Fall Show, Third Place
2013 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, St Paul, MN
2013 Of Fire and Water, with potter Karen Sebesta, Seasons on St Croix Gallery, Hudson, WI.
2013 Carter Avenue Frame Shop, MN Artists Month, Featured Artist, St Paul, MN
2012 Color, Motion, & Landscape with Joonja Lee Morne and Mary Lingen, Burnsville Art Center, Burnsville, MN
2012 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, St Paul, MN
2012 Light, Bright, and Bold, Two Tigers Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
2012 Minnesota Watercolor Society Spring Show, Best of Show & People’s Choice Award, Saint Anthony, MN
2011 Transparent Spaces, solo exhibition, Nina Bliese Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
2011 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, Honorable Mention, St Paul, MN
2011 Minnesota Watercolor Society Spring Show, People’s Choice Award, Minnetonka, MN
2010 Bloomington Art Center, solo exhibition, Bloomington, MN
2010 Owatonna Art Center, solo exhibition, Owatonna, MN
2010 Northeast Minneapolis Art Association Juried Fall Fine Arts Show, Second Place, Minneapolis, MN
2010 National Watercolor Society 90th Annual Exhibition, Brea, CA
2010 Bloomington Art Center, Member’s show, Merit Award, Bloomington, MN
2009 National Watercolor Society 89th Annual Exhibition, Loa Ruth Sprung Award, Awarded Signature Status, Brea, CA
2009 Northeast Minneapolis Art Association Juried Fall Fine Arts Show, Second Place, Minneapolis, MN
2009 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, Second Place, (Watercolor, Gouache, Casein, Termpera) Saint Paul, MN
2009 Undercroft Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Saint Paul, MN
2009 Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Merit Award, Kenosha, WI
2009 Undercroft Gallery, Community Arts Show, Best in Show, St Paul, MN
2009 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, Saint Paul, MN
2009 Small on the Wall, Seasons on St Croix Gallery, Hudson, WI
2009 Art Opener, Invited Artist, Hudson, WI
2008 NorthEast Minneapolis Art Association Juried Fall Show, Third Place, Minneapolis, MN
2008 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, Saint Paul, MN
2007 Earth Reflections, with potter Jan Bilek, Seasons on St Croix Gallery, Hudson, WI
2006 Phipps Center for the Arts, Horizon Series, solo exhibition, Hudson, WI
2006 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, Saint Paul, MN
2006 Undercroft Gallery, Second Place, St Paul, MN
2005 Minnesota Watercolor Society Fall Show, Peoples’s Choice Award, Minneapolis, MN
2004 Northstar Watercolor Society Fall Show, Award of Excellence, Little Canada, MN
2004 Minnesota Watercolor Society Fall Show. Merit Award, Minneapolis, MN
2004 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, Honorable Mention, St Paul, MN
2004 Minnesota Watercolor Society Spring Show, People’s Choice Award, Minneapolis, MN
2003 Strictly Women, Outsiders and Others Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
2002 Lake Sky Paintings, solo exhibition, Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington, MN
2002 Undercroft Gallery, Second Place, St Paul, MN
2002 Undercroft Gallery, Third Place, St Paul, MN
2002 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, St Paul, MN
2001 Northstar Watercolor Society Fall Show, Best in Show, St Paul, MN
2000 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, St Paul, MN
1997 Northstar Watercolor Society, Honorable Mention, St Paul, MN
Publications:
Featured Artist, Watercolor magazine, Fall 2010
Featured Artist, Watercolor Artist magazine, April, 2012
Experience:
2022 Juror, Saint Anthony Park Arts Festival, St Paul, MN
2019 Juror, Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition - Class 3: Watercolor/Gouache/Casein/Tempera
2004-2009 Watercolor Instructor, Como Park Botanical and Zoological Arts Program, St Paul, MN
Selected Collections
Altus Properties, Bloomington, MN
Benchmark Insurance Co, MN
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
Chicago Center for Surgery of the Hand, Chicago, IL
Four Seasons Hotel, Minneapolis, MN
First American Bank, Hudson, WI
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Conroe, TX
Hilton Hotel, Rochester, MN
Interlachen Country Club, Edina, MN
Lakeview Hospital, Stillwater, MN
Luther Seminary, St Paul, MN
Mayo Mankato Hospital, Mankato, MN
Sunrise Bank, Saint Paul, MN
The Bower, Edina, MN
Prime Therapeutics, Minnesota
University of Minnesota Hospital
Private Collections