I grew up in Southern Illinois where my need to create was nurtured throughout high school and college. I began wheel throwing at the age of 14 and quickly fell in love with Ceramics and Clay. Olney Central College introduced me to the possibility of art as a viable career and provided a foundation in my future direction as an artist. After receiving a two-year degree, I continued to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree at Eastern Illinois University.

I experimented with many processes and mediums while attending Eastern, yet my love of clay became unmistakably evident as ceramics and sculpture classes soon took over my life. In the ceramics studio I had the opportunity to work with stoneware and porcelain, and I was able to finish pieces with a variety of different firings such as raku firing, soda/salt firing, wood firing, reduction firing, and crystalline glazing and firing. During this time, I was able to express myself prolifically, and my hard work was rewarded with several scholarships, awards and project grants.

After graduation in 1998, I moved to Champaign, Illinois to work in a shared studio space at Boneyard Pottery. Here I was able to make art full time and participate in running a small art business. During this time I was also able to complete three large-scale mixed media installations. These works gave me the chance to express my ideas in new directions that would influence my current approach to clay.

After two years in Champaign, and a chance visit to the Twin Cities, I decided to move and start my own studio. I transplanted to Minneapolis in early fall of 2000 and have since become very active in the Minnesota art community. I participate in several local art fairs including the Uptown Art Fair and American Crafts Council Saint Paul show. My work is also available at various art galleries and retail shops through out Minnesota including WatersSuperior Gallery in Duluth, Savy Spaces in Lakeville, and Caravan Gallery in Uptown Minneapolis. I teach pottery classes at Fired Up Inc. and at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts.

My studio is located in Northeast Minneapolis where I am constantly testing new glazes and experimenting with new shapes. My desire to always challenge myself furthers my idea that each piece leads to the next in a forward moving progression of new work.