In 1983 as a reward for enduring the tediousness of commuting four hours a day to my job in New York City, I enrolled in a silk painting class at The School of Visual Arts. What I found through that experience was a passion for textile design. It married a long-standing love of fabrics with the vibrancy of color and the basics of design.

So I walked away from the daily car rides, the train rides and the bus rides, and opened The Apricot Lion, a textile design firm.  Initially, I focused on silk painting and dyeing, creating wall pieces, pillows and yardage for professionals in the interior design field. From there I branched out into scarves, vests, and jackets for the retail customer. In the late 90's, as commercially hand-dyed fabrics became more readily available---and as surface design crossed over into the reemerging quilting field---I did less of my own fabrics, and concentrated more time on design and new directions happening in the area of the art quilt.

What is exciting about the medium of textile art is the collaborative effort it affords between the tactile nature of fabric, color choices applied, and the expression of ideas through design and technique. From initial concepts to the refining of the completed image, it is a joy to be engaged in every step of the creative process. Inspiration often comes from the flora and fauna of the many areas of this country where I have lived. I am particularly interested in including in my work woodland species which are endangered or rarely seen. There are endless possibilities still to be expressed!

Exhibitions and Show

• 2nd Annual Fiber at The Garde:  The Garde Arts Center, New London, Connecticut. Connecticut Art Quilters.  Participating Artist and Guest Curator.  October--December 2008
• Connecticut Contemporary Art Quilters:  Charlton Sewing Center:  Charlton, Massachusetts. Participating Artist and Guest Curator.  April 2008
• Fiber Arts Exhibit, White Silo Winery:  Sherman, Connecticut.  December 2007
• Fiber at The Garde:  The Garde Arts Center, New London, Connecticut.  Connecticut Contemporary Art Quilters.  Participating Artist and Guest Curator.  September--November 2007
• Willoughby Wallace Gallery:  Stony Brook, Connecticut.  Sisters in Cloth.  September 2007
• New York Gift Show and New York Toy Fair.  February 1996, 1997, and 1998
• Member Show: New Jersey Center for the Visual Arts, Summit, New Jersey.  December 1998
• YMCA Holiday Show: Summit, New Jersey.  December 1998
• Jockey Hollow Weavers Holiday Show:  Mendham, New Jersey.  December 1996, 1997, 1998
• Sherman Oaks, Beverly Hills, Redondo Beach, Long Beach:  California Juried City Shows, 1988--1992
• Highlands, North Carolina Retail Merchant Exhibits:  Summer 1990, 1991
• Orange County Visual Artists:  Guggenheim Gallery, Chapman College.  Orange, California. June 1986, 1987, 1988
• Common Ground Multimedia Art Gallery:  Fullerton, California.  June 1985

Teaching Related to Fiber

• Highlands Community Center, Highlands, North Carolina.  Silk Dyeing, Silk Painting, and Fabric Painting.  Summer Workshops:  1990, 1991
• In my studio, in retail establishments, and at arts conferences, I have taught Introduction to Silk Painting, Advanced Silk Painting, Dyeing for Wearables, Painting on Fabric, Hand-Dyeing Techniques, Sun-Printing, Monoprinting, Indigo Dyeing, The Design Process, and Marketing Your Art Work.
• Chair:  Regional Surface Design Conference:  California State University at Northridge, Northridge, California, 1988.

Works in Private Collections

• Work in Michigan, Arkansas, California, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, and New York

Employment

• 1964-1984  Positions held in Education, primarily in university administration and college counseling and guidance with a focus on adult and continuing education.  Indiana University, University of Louisville, Kirkland College, Palos Hills Community College, and University of Illinois, Chicago.

Education

• BA           Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.  Liberal Arts
• MEd         Butler University, Indianapollis, Indiana.  Education
• MEd         Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.  College and University Administration, and College Counseling
  and Guidance
• Doctoral Studies    University of Illinois, Urbana--Champaign, Illinois.  Adult and Continuing Education

Professional Associations

• Studio Art Quilt Associates
• Surface Design Association