A professional artist for over 20 years my art career started as a graphic designer after I studied at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.  I have worked in the design industry in both Europe and the United States as well as working as an independent artist.  My current répertoire consists of acrylic, mixed-media, and watercolor.  Deep edge canvases are my choice for painting; I love the fact that when I’m done I can paint the sides and have a painting ready to hang without framing.  Sketching my ideas, creating my own stencils, and hand coloring papers are all part of the process for me when I start a painting. The meditative act of stencil making and hand painting papers as well as sketching some ideas gives me a perspective and direction as to where my painting might go.  Mixed-media painting has allowed me to tap into my creative well unlike other forms of painting. I am always working towards a tactile and intricate appearance,  I enjoy using glazes, heavy body acrylics, liquid acrylics, oil pastels, oil sticks, and various gel mediums.  

Bringing texture into my paintings is something I work on and experiment with constantly.  Building up a painting with many layers and then scraping or scrubbing away until I get the desired effect or look I want has been very fulfilling.  Inspiration comes from my daily life; whether it is beautiful architecture and all its elements, nature I see on a walk or historical design and pattern books-I absorb it all.  As much as I prepare for my paintings, I am still led by my emotions when I paint and I always succumb to my inner feelings.  I have turned my art into my own greeting card line “AS designs” that I sell locally and at art fairs. My greeting cards are a reflection of my love for color and are illustrative and whimsical in nature and they are printed from my original paintings.  Pushing my boundaries and experimenting as an artist, I really enjoy melding paint and graphic design together, which always leaves me wondering what I can create next.  I take an idea and let it evolve trusting the creative process and my intuition while being open to the unpredictable.  I have participated in group/solo shows in Belgium and Italy and my artwork is displayed in the United States and Europe. I am currently working as an art curator for the Mel Sembler Art Gallery in the US Embassy, Rome, Italy.