During the last few years I have been interested in multi-part, multi-frame drawings and paintings, grid formats, repetitions and variations, and series of related works that may suggest transformations or the passage of time.

I have lately become more interested in ways to suggest states of mind – changes in attitude, the loss of memory, gaps in thought process, opposite and simultaneous points of view.

I am often inspired by plant forms – blooms, bulbs, roots, leaves – as well as paper and cloth forms.  The works suggest organic layers or veils, peeling away, tearing, hiding and revealing, opening and releasing, and they usually develop in a layered, organic way as well, through a process of spontaneous mark-making and deliberate decisions, or intuition and choice.

I have been working more and more with combinations of both wet and dry media, after a period of several years of working primarily in oils on canvas or oil pastels or colored pencils on paper.

MA in Painting

BS in Education

Other Art Studies

Governors State University

Illinois State University

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Northern Illinois University

Saint Xavier University

“Whiskers & Tails”, Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL

 “53rd Annual Gallery Artists Exhibition”, Tall Grass Arts Association, Park Forest, IL

 “Gallery 2008” – Juried Exhibit – 3rd Place, Robert F. DeCaprio Gallery, Palos Heights, IL

 “Dreams & Visions”, National Juried Exhibit, Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL

 “Studio and Guild Artists Exhibit – Spring”, Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL

 “The Essence of Color”, McCord Gallery and Cultural Center, Palos Park IL. 

 “Studio and Guild Artists Exhibit – Winter”, Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL

“Halleluiah”, Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL

“8th Annual Juried Fall Art Exhibit”  –  2nd Place, Gretchen Charlton

     Gallery, Kankakee, IL

“Collaborative Arts Guild Exhibit - Fall”, Union Street Gallery, Chicago

     Heights, IL

“Collaborative Arts Guild Exhibit”, Fresh Starts Restaurant, Flossmoor, IL

“Crossroads – Altered History” – Regional Invitational Exhibit, Union Street

     Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL

“52nd Annual Gallery Artists Exhibition”, Tall Grass Arts Association, Park

     Forest, IL

“Gallery 2007” – Juried Exhibit, Robert F. DeCaprio Gallery, Palos

     Heights, IL

“Out of the Box”, Invitational Exhibit, Christopher Art Gallery, Chicago

      Heights, IL

“Square Art Competition”, Sanctuary Gallery, Clifton, IL

“Collaborative Arts Guild Exhibit - Spring”, Union Street Gallery, Chicago

     Heights, IL   

 “2nd Annual Artists Who Teach Exhibit”, Gallery Two Eighteen,  Oak Lawn, IL

“This Brand New Day”, Solo Exhibit, Finestra Art Space, Fine Arts Building,

     Chicago, IL

“Second Year Anniversary Invitational Exhibit”, 33 Collective Gallery,

     Chicago, IL

“Aha! Epiphanies & Breakthroughs”, National Juried Exhibit, Union Street

     Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL

“7th Annual Juried Fall Art Exhibit”, Gretchen Charlton Art Gallery,

     Kankakee, IL

“51st Annual Juried Artists Exhibition”, Tall Grass Arts Association,

     Park Forest, IL

“Gallery 2006” – Juried Exhibit, Robert F. DeCaprio Gallery, Palos      

     Heights, IL

“Home and Garden”, Invitational Water Media Exhibit, Tall Grass Arts

     Association, Park Forest, IL              

“2nd Annual National Juried Self-Portrait Exhibit”, 33 Collective Gallery,

     Chicago, IL

“Inaugural Group Exhibition”, EXPGallery, Chicago, IL

“Uno”, First Year Anniversary Invitational Exhibit, 33 Collective Gallery,

    Chicago, IL  

“6th Annual Juried Exhibit”  -  Third Place, Gretchen Charlton Art Gallery,

    Kankakee, IL   

“62nd Annual Salon Show”  –  Award of Merit, Northern Indiana Center for

     the Visual and Performing Arts, Munster, IN   

“Gallery 2005” –Juried Exhibit  -  Honorable Mention, Robert F. DeCaprio

     Art Gallery, Palos Heights, IL

Juried Drawing Exhibit  -  Honorable Mention, Christopher Art Gallery,

     Chicago Heights, IL

 “5th Annual Juried Exhibit”  –  Third Place, Gretchen Charlton Art Gallery,

     Kankakee, IL

“One Clear Moment”  –  Solo Exhibit, Larsen Fine Arts Gallery, Olivet Nazarene

     University, Bourbonnais, IL

“Gallery 2004” - Juried Exhibit, Robert F. DeCaprio Gallery, Palos Heights, IL

“Installation Show”, Visual Arts Gallery, Governors State University,

     University Park, IL

Annual Student Art Exhibit, Visual Arts Gallery, Governors State University, 

     University Park, IL    

“SICA Conference High School Faculty Art Exhibit”, Lee Dulgar Art Gallery,   

     South Holland, IL   

“4th Annual Juried Exhibit”  -  Best of Show, Gretchen Charlton Art Gallery,

     Kankakee, IL

“Gallery 2003” - Juried Exhibit  -  Honorable Mention, Robert F. DeCaprio Art

    Gallery, Palos Heights, IL                

Annual Student Exhibit, Visual Arts Gallery, Governors State University,

     University Park, IL    

“SICA Conference High School Faculty Art Exhibit”, Lee Dulgar Art Gallery,   

     South Holland, IL

“Let There Be Light” - Juried Exhibit, Christopher Art Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL

“A View of Elegance” - 3rd Annual Juried Exhibit, Gretchen Charlton Art

     Gallery, Kankakee, IL

“Gallery 2002” - Juried Exhibit  -  Honorable Mention, Robert F. DeCaprio Art

     Gallery, Palos Heights, IL

Annual Student Art Exhibit, Visual Arts Gallery, Governors State University,

     University Park, IL

“SICA Conference High School Faculty Art Exhibit”, Lee Dulgar Art Gallery,

     South Holland, IL

“Governors State University Faculty and Select Alumni Exhibit”, Northern

     Indiana Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, Munster, IN   

“SICA Conference High School Faculty Art Exhibits” – 1998 -2001, Lee Dulgar

      Art Gallery, South Holland, IL    

Annual Student Exhibits – 1991-94, 1996-98, 2000-01, Visual Arts Gallery,

     GSU, University Park, IL

“Seeking Balance” - One Person Exhibit – 1994, Visual Arts Gallery, GSU,

     University Park, IL

Two-Person Exhibit - 1994, Northern Indiana Center for the Visual and

     Performing Arts, Munster, IN

“Annual Salon Shows” - Juried Exhibits – 1992, 1994, Northern Indiana Center

     for the Visual and Performing Arts, Munster, IN

Kankakee Area Juried Art Exhibit – 1993,  Best of Show, Kankakee, IL  

Kankakee Area Juried Art Exhibit – 1992,  Honorable Mention, Kankakee, IL

Community High School District 218 - 1970-2005

Teacher:  AP and Honors Art Studio, Drawing and Painting, Advanced Drawing

     and Painting, Art Fundamentals

Sponsor/Organizer:  H. L. Richards Art Club; Richards Annual Student Art

     Exhibit; High School Student Exhibitions at Northern Illinois

University, South Suburban College, Moraine Valley Community College,

     Scholastics Art Awards at Elmhurst Art Museum and other venues

Member: 

Richards Principal’s Council, All-American Day Committee,

Union Street Gallery – 2007 – 2008

Resident Studio Artist

Member, Collaborative Arts Guild

Tall Grass Arts Association – 2005-2008                                                     

Curator: “RESONANCE – Installations and Collaborations” Fall, 2008

Co-Curator: “this good earth”  Summer, 2008

Curator:  “INK, Works from the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative”  Fall,  2007

Curator:  “LAYERS, Works by Artists from the Midwest Collage Society”  Spring, 2007          

Co-Curator: “WITHIN AND BEYOND: Interpretations of the Grid”   Fall, 2006

Designer: Gallery Exhibits

 Manager: Tall Grass Gift Shop

Member:  Gallery, Program and Installation Committees

Tall Grass Juried Gallery Artist

Educational Outreach Director

Docent: exhibit tours – elementary, secondary, college and adult levels     

Contributor:  articles to area newspapers, Tall GrassNewsletter

Creator:  informational flyers sent regularly to area art educators, artists, and Tall Grass members 

Gallery Volunteer

Beverly Art Center – 2007

Judge:  South Suburban Conference High School Art Exhibit