From a young age I gravitated toward artistic pursuits and by middle school I took every art class available. High school was no different, and at the age of 17 I had completed my first figurative sculpture of my father’s head. College turned my focus to a fruitful 33- year career in electrical engineering, a path that served me well and afforded me retirement in 2011. Twenty-eight of those years were spent as owner and operator of a successful women-owned electrical engineering consulting firm in the state of Colorado. After retirement, I discovered while I thoroughly enjoyed engineering, I absolutely loved sculpture.
Sculpting at its core is a very hands-on experience. I love the feel of the clay molding under the pressure applied with my tools and the thrill of reuniting with a finished piece in all its bronze splendor. I love that sculpture is art displayed in three dimensions; because, after all, we live in a three dimensional world. I love that figurative sculpture brings to life memories or encounters of one’s life, as well as evoking emotions of the human experience, capturing the joys and pains of life and expressing them through the piece. I like the flexibility and movement of the human figure. It is fun to capture the gravity defying moment in time.
Extensive study of human anatomy has allowed me a thorough understanding of the underlying musculature and bone structure of humans. This has greatly improved my ability to accurately present the human form via sculpture. With this knowledge at hand, I have a strong aptitude for creating a remarkable likeness to that of my model, especially in portraiture.
I delight in the challenges that composing figurative sculpture generates. Learning how to create high level figurative sculpture has been more trying than learning engineering ever was. There are no formulas to follow nor calculations to compute for the exact right answer. In creating art, the right answer is always what feels right. The transition from engineer to artist has been an amazingly fun journey. My natural inclination to view the world with an integrated right and left brain is a wonderful way to live, and it is especially advantageous in being able to sculpt.
Even after all of these years, the sculpting process still feels magical to me. Creating a realistic human form is incredibly challenging but extremely rewarding. There are moments when it feels like the piece changes from clay to a real live person, and this is when I get chills and find the biggest smile covering my face. I truly believe creating sculpture will keep me smiling for many more years to come.
JURIED SHOWS
- R Gallery, Boulder, Colorado, Human Figure, February 2022
- Loveland, Colorado, Library Galleria, Second quarter 2022
- The Tempest – 2022 Best in Show
- Sculpture in the Park, Benson Park, Loveland, Colorado, August 2022, 2023
- Loveland, Colorado, Library Galleria, Fourth quarter 2022
- gallerium.art, NUDUS Virtual Exhibition and Publication, 2022
- Biafarin Virtual Exhibition and Publication, 2022
- Loveland, Colorado, Library Galleria, First quarter 2023
- The Denver Arts Festival, Central Park, Denver, Colorado, May 2023
- Smash Fine Arts Festival, Fillmore Plaza, Cherry Creek North, Denver, Colorado, June 2023
- Loveland, Colorado, Library Galleria, Fourth quarter 2023
- SoloS 2023, International Solo virtual exhibition by Exhibizone
AWARDS
- 2022 Best in Show – The Tempest
Loveland Library Galleria 2022
Galleries
- 2023 Sept.- Dec. Amsterdam-Whitney Gallery, Chelsea, New York, New York
- 2023 Amsterdam-Whitney Gallery, One-year on-line representation
EDUCATION
2011-2014 Figurative Sculpture Study with Russian Master Sculptor, Valentin Okorokov, Art Students League of Denver
2015-2016 Anatomy Studies, several live on-line classes, Master Sculptor, Sabin Howard, New York, New York
2017 Anatomy class level 2, with Andrew Cawrse, Anatomy Tools.com, Las Vegas, Nevada
2017 Anatomy class level 3, with Andrew Cawrse, Anatomy Tools.com, Las Vegas, Nevada
2018 Five day private sculpting class with Andrew Cawrse, Anatomy Tools.com, Las Vegas, Nevada
2019 Three-day sculpture portrait workshop with Philippe Faraut, Loveland, Colorado
2019 Figurative portrait sculpture web-based class with Amelia Rowcroft, United Kingdom
MEMBERSHIPS
- Art Students League of Denver – Student
- National Sculpture Society – Associate Member
- American Women Artists – Associate Member