For me, making art is an act of prayer, joy and healing. The road I have traveled in my art has been a circuitous one. From a family of artists (dancers, painters & photographers), I began my journey of creativity as a modern dancer from the age of 5. When I was 7 years old, I received my first camera ... and to this date, I am rarely without one at the ready. In college, I continued to dance & became a master at collage & assemblage ... while beginning my life long love affair with all things visual. In 1980, I received my Bachelor's Degree in Broadcast Journalism from San Francisco State University. In the early 80’s, my sister & I had a small jewelry making business, selling one of a kind hand-made pieces to upscale stores in San Francisco. At the age of 35, I became a firefighter, a dream since I was a five year old . In my life as a San Francisco Firefighter, my art took an enormous leap after 9/11, concurrent with my father's passing & my own on-duty injury recovery. During this period, I began to explore my artistic creativity and dove in deep with paint at my fingertips. Sometimes I see an image, have an idea … or, simply make an initial marking on a canvas which sets the tone for the direction a particular painting takes.