I was born in Western Canada in 1954 and grew up in various parts of the prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Every year, my summer vacation was spent at my grandparent's farm on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Both there and in the outlying suburbs of cities, we bordered on wilderness and had access to nature. I had the extreme good fortune to be parented by an intelligent mother who was generous, enthusiastic and insatiably curious. A sense of wonder for our place in the natural world, as well as for the marvels of human achievement, could be said to be 'embedded' within me from an early age.

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After secondary school, I received a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Victoria, Canada and worked for many years as a mental health counsellor in both clinical and residential settings, finishing my career assisting victims of crime and misfortune with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Cochrane, Alberta. At 56, I completed a Bachelors of Fine Art degree at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, Canada. Residencies in New Mexico, USA and Pune, India followed. When my husband and I had the opportunity to move to Cape Town, South Africa, I enrolled for and completed my Masters of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town, Michaelis School of Fine Art, and embarked on a new career as a visual artist.

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I have moved many (43) times in my life and, therefore, have a deep appreciation for the perceptions and experiences

associated with change and transition. My science background and interests in biology and chemistry have fed my desire to understand my place within the context of my greater natural environment and my background in psychology has influenced my interpretation of human-centric philosophies. This rich and varied history has culminated in an art practice where I explore and express my sense of place and belonging not just within a local community, but on the planet and beyond to the cosmos. 

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