Who am I

"Army veteran, lifelong artist, and maker of things that don't exist until I create them."

I have always wanted to be an artist. As a child, I was always creating — art lessons, painting lessons, hours spent exploring color and texture. I started with watercolors, moved to oils, and eventually landed on acrylics. I began pursuing a degree in studio arts with a focus on photography before realizing college wasn't the right fit and stepping away.

Life took its own path from there. I joined the Army, started a family, and for a while, art took a back seat. But it never really left. I eventually made my way back to school and fell in love with printmaking — until a deployment to Iraq put that on hold too.

After coming home, I slowly worked toward finishing my education, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design. Turns out, designing for clients wasn't my thing. So I went back to what I loved — photography, printmaking, and painting.

In 2018, I lost my best friend and biggest supporter. That loss pushed me back to my painting roots and reignited a passion I had been circling around for years. For the first time in a long time, it was just me, the canvas, and color.

After several years focused solely on painting, I decided to step outside my comfort zone and try something completely new. I set up a studio and started learning to make silver and gemstone jewelry by hand. Now I split my time between bold abstract paintings and one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry — and I have never been happier creating.