Around 2003 I decided to narrow my focus; rather than dabbling in so many different arts, knitting one day, painting the next, and making jewelry the day after that, I decided to concentrate on what I love the most -- painting decorative wood items with intricate, brightly colored patterns.

I am often asked if my work has any ethnic influence, a lot of people say that it looks Moroccan or Russian. My designs are not directly influenced by any specific culture or style, but I do find inspiration in many different cultural arts, especially Moroccan, East Indian, and Russian styles. Usually, it is the raw piece itself that inspires the design that will adorn it. I try to create patterns that complement the shape of the object I am working on.

I sell my work primarily through summer art shows in the Milwaukee and Chicago areas, and also on an individual, made-to-order basis. I love painting, but this is a part-time thing for me right now, as I also have a day job in music publishing at a marketing company in the Milwaukee area.