I grew up in Los Angeles. My father was an engineer and her mother was an educator. They shared a keen interest in art, design and architecture and they supported and encouraged my early creative interests.
As a young adult, I attended California State University at Long Beach where I studied both fine art and graphic design. I completed the Graphic Design program in 1988 with the thought that I had a better odds of making a living as a designer rather than a fine artist. Over the course of 25 years, I worked for many of the top boutique design firms and advertising agencies in Los Angeles area. I also taught Graphic Design courses (Photoshop, Illustrator and Typography) at Santa Monica College from 1997-1999.
About midway into my design career I realized how much I missed the process of making art. After my first trip to Italy, in ’97, I recommitted myself to this favorite pastime as much as my bank account would allow. Of course, the upshot was that I did both. I worked as a designer and focused on my fine art interests after hours.
