I grew up on the beaches of Florida, mostly on the Atlantic side of the state where the surf was loud and big enough to surf, but I also spent a few years on Gulf with it's tranquil expanses, white sands and light blue water. I've been drawing ever since I could hold a pencil, and took my first art lesson when I was six. Although I studied English and Political Science as an undergraduate, I earned an MFA in Painting from Tulane University in New Orleans. Then I taught art for a number of years In Miami at Florida International University. Now I live just outside New York City, and draw my inspiration from the beaches of Long Island, as well as from trips to Maine and my home state of Florida.