In first grade I won the school safety poster contest with a bold entry in crayon, entitled Stay In Line.  Eventually, I grew up, went to art school at the University of Michigan, and like many women art majors of my generation, became an art teacher. For many interesting and challenging years I taught art in Indiana public schools and colleges.  Now I focus on my own studio work, mostly in textiles and fiber.  

I am interested in the lives of women, and I look for meaning in pieces of cloth.  My materials are often repurposed clothing and domestic linens; textiles made, used and maintained by the hands of other women.  I use hand stitching and embroidery to hold the pieces together, to bind the layers and gather the detritus of daily living into a new whole. The work I do, and the way of working that I value, is slow and mindful.  

My work has been exhibited regionally and nationally, recently I have had work selected for Quilt Visions, Quilt National, Art Quilt Elements, Quilts=Art=Quilts and Artist as Quiltmaker. I frequently exhibit with Woman Made Gallery, Surface Design Association, SAQA and Women’s Caucus for Art.

Originally from Michigan, I live and work in South Bend, Indiana, with my husband and two cats.  We have four adult children and four grandchildren. I also read, garden and walk.  I don’t Stay In Line much.