There has never been a time in my life when I haven’t been creating art. I’ve wanted to be an artist ever since I was a child. On Saturdays, when all the kids in my New Jersey neighborhood went to football games, I went to art school.After graduating from high school I attended Philadelphia College of the Arts, my last year on a scholarship for excellence in printmaking and painting. I grew up in New Jersey around the shore and I remember going out to sit on my favorite jetty for hours looking out at the sea. Now that I’m older and can reflect on my reasons, I see that I always felt that connection to the ocean. I was using the natural world to calm and center myself. I still do that. My back yard is a heaven in the city with orchids and other exotic flowers and most recently a butterfly garden.My life journey has taken me around the world. Traveling on boats was a perfect fit for me. I spent my young adult life going on various adventures while crewing on boats around the South Pacific, New Guinea, Australia and Asia. I took a sketch book everywhere with me and kept a journal through my drawings and paintings. To walk in any natural environment, whether a forested trail or sandy beach, calms and centers my soul. My creativity vibrates with excitement when I begin working on a new painting.When creating, I am always aware of the deep connection we have with nature. I try to relate this in my work. My focus when painting becomes so strong that everything else melts away. I find myself in a very meditative state. All the nuances of a flower can consume me for days. The wonder of the patterns that comprise nature ignites my passion. I love to capture those patterns on canvas. Light, color and beauty characterize my paintings. Working primarily in acrylic on canvas, I try to capture the illusion of depth of space.Art is a gift that I like to share. “Shattered Images” is a sculpture I created for a breast cancer fundraiser. Because I love the sea, I’ve also contributed my artwork to help raise funds for the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Nature Center on Key Biscayne, as well as for the Shake-a-Leg organization, which teaches disabled and at-risk children and adults to sail, giving them confidence and independence.My hope is that I can prompt a sense of peacefulness and joy in all the people that experience my art.