My art studies began in high school, focusing on design, and continued after graduation on a University level at UC. Courses for a Ph.D. in Art History, painting and drawing and experiments in other media led me to an ultimate concentration in studio painting.

After establishing an art studio where I worked as a painter, I continued my studies at Northwestern University; I completed my studies in art and theater arts at Roosevelt University.

My work in oil paint on canvas represents more than one interest. It has evolved from abstract forms to figure art, landscape and natural forms. My love of Far Eastern art and culture, and its influence is often present in my work, combining sharp lines and soft edges. Generally, I am concerned with landscape, still life and figure studies, where human figures in various settings often exist independently of their backgrounds. Some works are clearly involved with theater and dance, catching the movements of figures, how they interact, and at the same time maintain their separate spaces --- an interest developed at a very young age, having grown up among theater artists.

My work is both liberating and demanding. Influences include Degas, portrayals of theater by Ukiyoe print masters, Picasso theater, and the painters and theater designers of the Russian avant garde. Latin American culture is another strong influence in my work and the Middle East.

To me, paint is sensuous, flexible, forgiving, and the use of color, transcending. I feel disconnected when I do not paint every day. “In a modern work where life transcends time, I am interested in the lives of artists and those involved in the worlds of art. I seek to discover ‘who we are, what we do, and how we relate to each other.’”

To my mind, painting involves the mind and the senses, and I enjoy being visual and intellectual, without necessarily finding the right answers.
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