Helvellyn from Calf Crag, Lake District Painting

A creator, long before I even knew the word “artist,” I have worked extensively in painting, installation, public art, illustration, photography and graphic design. My art is about offering a gateway, a common place for us to meet, to portray our similar stories, struggles and triumphs. I strive to make art that is both a metaphor and catalyst for creating stronger relationships and communities. In this way, art is a connector, offering opportunities for awareness about ideas, other people and our surroundings that we might not otherwise encounter or consider. “My role in society, or any artist’s or poet’s role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.” - John Lennon My drive to create this work and connect with others has presented incredible opportunities throughout my career that began at age 16 when I learned graphic design and medical illustration at the University of Texas Medical School, Houston. I went on to study with noted photographer Carl Chiarenza and printmaker Dwight Pogue while earning a BA in Studio Art from Smith College. I studied photography and printmaking at the Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and was a five time recipient of the Frank Freed Memorial Scholarship for Printmaking. I was also very fortunate to study and share a studio with figurative abstractionist, Ted Katz, in Portland, OR. In addition to fine art, I am also an illustrator and author as well as an adept community manager. I’ve worked with diverse groups such as Freelancers Union and TED; helping organizations reconfigure and refine their programming and build their communities. I am also a TEDx speaker and the creator of the TEDx Artist in Residence program, a global initiative to connect TEDx talks and the arts. My art is available at Saatchi Art and has been on display at the Portland International Airport and at the 2015 TED Active conference where I was the 2015 TED Active Artist in Residence. I am currently working on a special Instagram project that began in September 2014; painting daily watercolor postcards of Scotland. I currently live in Portland, OR.