I completed my first oil painting at the age of 13, studying painting and drawing under Claudia Hartley until college. I attended Mercer University, achieving my degree in art, and began my career as an artist. Selling my paintings and painting murals in homes, churches and cafes in the southeast, I decided to move in a different direction in 2002. I moved to Florence, Italy and began a program in Art Conservation. Finding a love for working with historical objects, I combined a love for archaeology with my artistic ability and continued into the masters program in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums at the University College London in 2005, completed in 2008.
Following London, I moved to Maryland to continue in conservation of archaeological material at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab. I was there for 2 1/2 years and loved my work, continuing to draw and paint on the side. I participated in art shows in Southern Maryland and especially enjoyed painting en plein air with the gorgeous scenery of the Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent River. However, I missed Atlanta, deciding to return in the middle of July 2011. I hope to focus more on my painting while continuing in conservation part-time. As I continue in the field of conservation, I hope to incorporate more of my experiences on archaeological excavations and the fascinating objects I have worked with into my oil paintings and continue to draw from the fullness of life as I paint.
Self-portrait