I was born in a Florida orange grove, which my grandfather started, and I helped my father plant more trees. In my childhood, I explored pasture, pine trees, hammocks, and lakeshore and roamed through rows of citrus. I caught catfish and bream with bread moistened with spit. A menagerie of critters graced the rooms of our house: tadpoles, minnows, snakes, turtles, (small) alligator, frogs, puppies, birds, squirrels and stray cats.  Once, the milkman left rabbits on our front porch.

Growing up with nature all around me impacted my work as an artist and writer and defined my values for land conservation, preservation of nature, and historical places. When our four children were school-age, they were homeschooled; our curriculum had plenty of nature.

Throughout my career, I've grappled with the challenge of being multi-disciplined in art and writing. At times, it felt like these two passions were pulling me in opposite directions, rather than working in harmony. During a Masterclass with Es Devlin, a British Artist and Stage Designer, I found encouragement. Her lesson on 'Turning Ideas into Art' resonated deeply with me as she discussed researching and sketching ideas. Devlin said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take them both.” Art and Books, paintbrush and pencil, became my symbolic ‘fork in the road.’

My academic journey has taken me from Kansas State University, where I earned my BFA, to the University of Florida, where I completed my MFA. I have since made Wisconsin my home, where I have lived most of my adult life. Here, I have found joy in life's simple pleasures, such as hiking, x-country skiing, biking, traveling, and gardening.