I was born in New York City in the 1950’s. My father, a doctor loved to build things. My mother a gifted pianist, went to Juilliard on a fellowship in 1941. Her passion for the arts was the strongest influence on my development as an artist. I am deeply grateful for how she nurtured me into the arts. There was a magazine called LIFE. I would lose myself for hours, pouring over all the fascinating images that would take me to another world. The photographs of portraits some of which were enhanced with makeup, mesmerized me with their beauty, as well as subjects that were difficult to look at, yet they too had beauty. I loved the images, studying the faces, feeling the emotions, and the newness of it all. My mother loved the theater and took myself and my brother to many shows on and off Broadway, furthering my awareness of the arts. Sadly I lost my mother at age 13, after losing my father at age 7. My heart was broken and I lived in a bubble of loss. Yet my artistic nature found ways to keep me comforted and engaged.
I started taking classes at The New School in the Village in New York City, studying painting and printmaking. Later, I went on to Moore College of Art in Philadelphia, Pa. and majored in ceramics and photography. After college I spent time living in the San Francisco Bay Area and began training as a Makeup Artist at The San Francisco Opera Company. I learned of the painting technique Chiaroscuro and used it when making up performers, sculpting their faces with bold strokes of light and dark so they would be visible far into the audience.
Feeling homesick I moved back to New York City. I found work as a makeup artist with the singer Judy Collins and local TV stations. Photography came back into my thoughts and I took it up again, refreshing myself with classes at The Maine Photography Workshops and the International Center of Photography. I reconnected with my passion for photography. I was traveling a great deal with Judy Collins all over the US, so I was able to capture photos from a variety of places and decided never to be without my camera.
New York City was so enriching, I was in love with the architecture, the arts, the fashion, the styles, the kinetic energy of the night. It was so alive. I met many photographers and submitted my work to portfolio reviews with gallerists, curators and artists. I was blown away by the images of fashion photographer Lillian Bassman after seeing her work at a Sotheby’s auction. Surprisingly, a friend of mine knew her and arranged an introduction. Lillian looked at some of my work and invited me back to edit my contact sheets. It was a dream being with an artist as accomplished as Lillian. I then met George Pitts at one of his talks. He was so engaging and friendly that I invited him to come to a show I was having. He accepted and I was able to spend some precious one on one time with him. He gave me valuable feedback. It was very special for me meeting Lillian and George. They both are dearly missed. I am grateful to many others I met on my way on my photography journey: Tom Gitterman, Michael Foley,members of the American Photographic Artists, Ruth Silverman, and many more.
The paths of photography, makeup artistry and the theater all led me to the kinds of images I am doing today. I’ve exhibited in New York and San Francisco and I am in several private collections.