I was born in States Center Iowa but I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. The warm Arizona sun called my family out West when I was five.

I have wonderful memories of living on the farm. Childhood, life is simple and life on the farm was magic. I am thankful that I had that beginning in my life. It took a few years for the memories of green and snow to fade but I grew to become a true desert rat.

I married and busied myself with raising a family. In 1976, I took some art classes for my own enjoyment. I had always done more drawing and this taught me how to work with paint. I gave up being a bookkeeper and learned as much as I could about art. I became active in local art organizations and received a wealth of education during that time. When my older sister died in 1988 it began dramatic changes in my art.

I met a wonderful teacher, Eleanor Harris, who became my mentor. She taught me about collage and non-objective shapes. I had an interest in collage since I was a young child but always made such a mess. She was the first to help me tame my non-objective colors and shapes. She educated me as to what a good abstract painting was. Other instructors followed.