Upon my retirement from the San Francisco Department of Public Works I moved to Watauga County as I was drawn here by a lifelong interest in traditional music and crafts, and by the possibility of finally having the giant garden you just can't get in a big city.

I began taking pottery and jewelry classes at the Western Watauga Community Center almost immediately and now work for potter, Cindy Pacileo, from whom I have learned so much.

I have always been a gardener, even as a little kid and that has been a great inspiration to me in my work. The best part of winter is the steady stream of seed catalogs arriving in my mailbox! Flowers, birds, animals and the folklore and mythology surrounding them are the central influences in my work. It's all magic to me, and I try to share that magic through my work.

The Craft Enrichment Program at ASU, I studied with many local potters such as; Dottie Baker, Eric Reichert and Bob Meier. I have studied various aspects of jewelry making at the William Holland School of Lapidary Arts in Georgia, and with Zoe Nelson and Melody Haven. I am a member of Potters of the Blue Ridge as well as The Blue Ridge Artisan Guild.