Ilka is my right hand lady -- my artistic muse. I call upon her every time I create and try to follow her wherever she leads me -- uncensored. She lives within the "attic" of my soul -- the place of hidden treasures and trinkets, imaginary play, and connection to something beyond myself.

I am a self-taught artist, author and instructor who resides in a small, rural town in the state of Maine. I have a passion for photography and creating digital art. I enjoy making collage, assemblage, and altered art with found imagery and recycled objects. Exploring abstract intuitive painting on huge canvases, often with bold colors and patterns, is a favorite mode of expression.

I've had formal training in the areas of Flute Performance and Music Education, having obtained degrees from both Rutgers University-Mason Gross School of the Arts, and the Boston Conservatory. I taught K-12 public school music over a span of ten years, in both the Greater Boston area and in my current home state of Maine, but my most recent embracement of the arts is in the visual realm. I am drawn to color, texture, and design, and enjoy playing with various mediums to express whatever happens to be in my heart and mind in the moment. I must make art -- it seems to be in my blood -- it brings me much joy -- and oftentimes provides a safe haven where I can work out life’s challenges. The process of each creation can often feel like "Christmas morning" to me -- I get so lost in what I am doing -- it is my passion!

My art has been exhibited in galleries within the United States, and can be found in private collections throughout the United States and abroad. My first book, Exhibition 36: Mixed-Media Demonstrations and Explorations, was published by North Light Books in November, 2008 (available here). My second book, Digital Expressions: Creating Digital Art with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements, will be published by North Light Books in May 2010 (it is currently available for pre-order on Amazon here). I am a frequent contributor to Stampington & Company publications and other mixed-media books. VisualPoetry is a series of online digital art workshops that I am currently teaching.

I feel a calling to put my work out into the Universe -- to create it and then let it go -- as it was meant to be shared. I feel privileged to be the medium through which each piece can flow -- from my heart, mind and hands to the receiver, whom I believe was meant to have it all along. In this way I can make small differences in the world, and potentially, a big difference in someone's life. Click below to read the story of Harry -- a story that made me realize my calling.

The Story of Harry