I have a BA in art history and have done advanced coursework in the subject, with additional training in drawing, painting and sculpting. Although my career has been in scholarly book publishing, I have always had a creative life as well. I have been a miniaturist and nationally recognized teddy bear and toy artist, and was a professional costume designer and fabricator for nearly 15 years. When I retired from the theatre, I began to make art dolls.
Everything I do is informed by words and story, filtered not only through theatre but through a lifetime of reading and writing, as well. Whether ideas appear to me as fantasy, history or drama, I look for the connection between the human and natural worlds. My characters are thoughtful and introspective, and I allow them to suggest alternate endings to familiar stories or to explore entirely new paths. I sculpt primarily in paperclay, but use a variety of materials including paper, gourds, oil and acrylic paints, wood, found objects and fabric. I use mainly silk harvested from men’s ties, as well as beads, yarn, dye, raffia, trim, buttons, other fabrics, and vintage goods. My work has been shown in Art Doll Quarterly, Doll Crafter and Costuming and AforArtistic, and has been exhibited in group shows with members of NIADA, Original Doll Artist Council of America (ODACA) and the Texas Association of Original Doll Artists (TAODA).