I was born on a cattle ranch in Northwestern Nebraska, but spent my school years in Denver, Colorado. Whether I was getting in trouble for painting on the basement walls or being sent to the principal’s office for drawing on the white sleeves of my school uniform shirt, I always had a deep-seated need to create and alter my surroundings. By high school, my room was crammed with canvases and painted objects of all kinds. I painted anything I could get my hands on, like telephones, furniture, and a large plaster tiger from a garage sale. Although my teachers discouraged my artistic endeavors, I took as many art classes in high school as they would allow. When I was a senior, my mom and I moved to the Chicago area where I finished high school and enrolled in college as a Philosophy major. But after a year of classes I left school to take time off to paint and work. In 1994, I enrolled at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After a year of classes at SAIC, my new husband and I ran short of money and moved to Los Angeles so he could pursue a career in film. I worked as a picture framer in L.A. as I completed my B.A. in Art at California State University, Northridge. I was eight months pregnant at graduation. Having a baby slowed down my artistic output for several years. In 2002, we moved back to Chicago. Presently we reside in Arlington Heights where I work as a picture framer. I spend my days with my little boy and paint whenever I get the chance.