The Full Story
For as long as I can remember, art has been my constant love. I played with it as a child, and as an adult I have celebrated it. When living in the mid-west, I became the founding director of Quad City Arts, a bi-state arts council serving 34 communities in Iowa and Illinois. To fund community arts there, I was lucky to have a host of friends join me in launching the Quad Cities Festival of Trees which is still going strong nearly 40 years later!
Here in North Carolina, I fell in love with fine craft and Southern Folk Art which became the focal point of our Maddi's Gallery. That led me to direct CRAFT, the non-profit trade association dedicated to the handmade craft industry in America.
Along the way, I have kept playing with art - making jewelry, dabbling in pottery, and of course painting. Until the pandemic, I was always "too busy" to paint seriously. However, the thrill of color, texture and design turned out to be my salvation and I have never looked back.
Thanks for coming to see my work. I am so pleased to share it with you!