About Me
My Husband and I at a show with a Dragon.
Even as a child, I was drawn to art as a means of relaxation and escape. I have never been able to cope with groups or crowds of people, and growing up in the Bronx, NY, no matter where you go, there is a crush of humanity. My sketchbook was my constant companion. As I grew older, this didn’t change, and my family life only made things worse. With the help of some very kind people, whom I consider to be my real family, I was able to make the move from the Bronx to Salem, Oregon, where I could find a little peace and solitude in nature.
Even though I was always drawing, I never considered making prints of my artwork and selling originals as a viable career choice. It had been drilled into me that artists don’t make any money, that you have to know the right people, and so on, and I frankly didn’t think my work was good enough. I was studying software engineering, but after the crash of 2008, I had to make a hard choice about continuing my studies. My husband, Ben, was adamant that I stop pursuing a normal job and sell my artwork. I was sure that I would fail. Yet, Ben wouldn’t let me give up, and so we decided after much research that the best course of action was to open a pop-up art gallery at the Salem Saturday Market. A market we still participate in these many years later.
People often wonder why I don’t sell my own art. There are a few reasons for this. First, I am a terrible salesperson, and Ben is great at it, so why not let him do it? Also, if I were at the markets selling, I wouldn’t have time to create any of the new art, which is the lifeblood of our business. Lastly, and most seriously, I have a crippling disease, schizophrenia. I can only describe having schizophrenia as a nightmare that steals away your life. Aside from my medications, which allow me to continue to work, I need to be in a controlled, quiet environment to keep my stress levels down. My home and my studio are my sanctuaries. Every day I take my bird back to my studio, put on an audiobook, and get to work. I love listening to ancient military history while I am painting, my favorite subjects being Alexander the Great and Hannibal.
Even though I was always drawing, I never considered making prints of my artwork and selling originals as a viable career choice. It had been drilled into me that artists don’t make any money, that you have to know the right people, and so on, and I frankly didn’t think my work was good enough. I was studying software engineering, but after the crash of 2008, I had to make a hard choice about continuing my studies. My husband, Ben, was adamant that I stop pursuing a normal job and sell my artwork. I was sure that I would fail. Yet, Ben wouldn’t let me give up, and so we decided after much research that the best course of action was to open a pop-up art gallery at the Salem Saturday Market. A market we still participate in these many years later.
People often wonder why I don’t sell my own art. There are a few reasons for this. First, I am a terrible salesperson, and Ben is great at it, so why not let him do it? Also, if I were at the markets selling, I wouldn’t have time to create any of the new art, which is the lifeblood of our business. Lastly, and most seriously, I have a crippling disease, schizophrenia. I can only describe having schizophrenia as a nightmare that steals away your life. Aside from my medications, which allow me to continue to work, I need to be in a controlled, quiet environment to keep my stress levels down. My home and my studio are my sanctuaries. Every day I take my bird back to my studio, put on an audiobook, and get to work. I love listening to ancient military history while I am painting, my favorite subjects being Alexander the Great and Hannibal.