I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t want to be an artist. My mother shared her art school sketches with me when I was very young, and I decided that being able to draw was some sort of magic. I was very fortunate to have a dedicated and excited art teacher in public school. Mr. C encouraged me to stay late and put in the hours I needed to get started. Photography, pottery, and printmaking became my favorite media. My first summer job was in a pottery studio, scraping kiln shelves, and sifting fireplace ash to make glaze.

I attended the Visual Arts Program at Camosun College, and received my Associate of Arts in 1988. Night classes at Victoria College of Art and Design, group lessons with favorite artists, and weekend and week long workshops at Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts became my part time job.

I moved to the U.S. in the summer of 1998, following my dream of figuring out how to do this full time. My friend and former husband introduced me to the lifestyle of the art festival artist. The good art festivals take time to find, and are very competitive. Each show has it’s own jury selection process. Juries are usually “blind” meaning your name or background is not seen, just your work. I will always be thankful for that introduction.

Meeting Kyle Osvog, a ceramic artist from Minnesota, sparked change and a new opportunity to try my hand at decorating and glazing. We have become studio and life partners, pushing each other to be better at what we do. He pulls prints for me in my studio, and I glaze his vases. Our studio cats, Peaches and Herb, think we are nuts.

I look forward to meeting you one day, at a festival or show, when things get back to normal. Whatever that will be, but until then, enjoy the virtual show. Thanks for stopping by.