Biography

I live on Samish Island, on the Padilla Bay Estuary in Skagit County, Washington State. Living on this island allows me access to nature and, in particular, the variety of plants, animals, birds and aquatic species that live close to and are dependent on the waters of the Salish Sea.

This area supports farming, commercial fisheries, recreation and tourism. It is also home to two large oil refineries and is daily traversed by a rail system that carries oil and coal for export. I am constantly reminded of the divergent ways we use our natural resources and the complex relationship between the valley where I live and a global industry that exists because of our dependency on fossil fuels. It is a dilemma that raises questions about environmental ethics as we are confronted with a growing population and the climate crisis.

I create paper cuts as fragile as our environment to celebrate the special nature and remarkable diversity of this intertidal region and to encourage Northwest communities towards conversations that lead to just cooperation and sustainable solutions as the decline of our planet’s biodiversity calls for urgent action.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2022 Perry Carlson Gallery, Mount, Vernon, WA.
2018 College of the Redwoods, Eureka, CA.
2017 A.C.M.E. Creative Space, Anacortes, WA.
2013 Views, Shoreline Community College Gallery, Shoreline, WA.
2012 Cedar, Sage and Pine, Helen Smith Gallery, Green River College, Auburn, WA.
2012 Robert Graves Gallery, Wenatchee Valley College, Wenatchee, WA.
2011 Species, Skagit Valley College Gallery, Mount Vernon, WA.
1999 Apparitions, Spokane Art School Gallery, Spokane, WA.
1994 Out-Comes, Chase Gallery, City Hall, Spokane, WA.
1991 Northview Gallery, Portland Community College, Portland, OR.

Selected Group Exhibitions

2023 Five Critical Decades of Art: The Stephens Collection, Jundt Museum, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA.
2023 SURGE, Museum of Northwest Art, LaConner, WA.
2023 Exploring the Edge, Shack Arts Center, Everett, WA.
2023 On the Edge: Living the Anthropocene, Grants Pass Oregon Art Museum
2022 Global WarNings, Chehalem Art and Cultural Center, Newberg, OR.
2021 On the Edge: Living the Anthropocene, Eastern WA University Art Gallery, Cheney, WA.
2021 Backstory, Karla Matzke Art and Design Gallery, Camano Island, WA.
2021 On the Edge: Living the Anthropocene, Moses Lake Art Museum & Center, Moses Lake WA.
2020  Smith and Vallee Gallery, Edison, WA.
2020 On the Edge: Living the Anthropocene, Chehalem Art and Cultural Center, Newburg, OR.
2019 Northwest Designer Craftsmen Show, Gallery at the Par, Richland, WA.
2019 STEM + Art + Design, Shack Art Center, Everett, WA.
2019 Black and White, Northwind Arts Center, Port Townsend WA.
2018 Re:Acclimating, Kirkland Arts Center, Kirkland, WA.
2017 Featured Artist, Arts Alive Invitational, Maple Hall, La Conner, WA.
2017 RESIST, Perry Carlson Gallery, Mount Vernon, WA.
2016 Simon and Mace, Port Townsend, WA.
2016 Untitled Insights, Spokane Falls Community College Fine Arts Gallery, Spokane WA.
2016 Centennial Art Gallery, Kent City Hall Campus, Kent, WA.
2016 Here and There, Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, WA.
2015 Dual Nature: Draw, Cut, Burn, Port Angeles Fine Art Center, Port Angeles, WA.
2015 Interstate. Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, CWU, Ellensburg, WA.
2015 Kent Summer Art Exhibit, Kent City Hall Gallery, Kent, WA.
2015 Here and There, Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka, CA.
2015 Wings, Smith and Vallee Gallery, Edison, WA.
2014 Layers of Perception, Moses Lake Museum and Art Center, Moses Lake, WA.
2014 Skagit Women Print, Anchor Art Space, Anacortes, WA.
2014 Art of the Wild, Columbia Arts Center, Mt Hood, Oregon
2014 Maude Kearns Art Center, Eugene, Oregon
2013 Transient Terrain, Boswell Gallery, North Idaho Community College, Coeur d’Alene, ID.
2012 Strands: Draw, Cut, Write, Stitch, Anchor Art Space, Anacortes, WA.
2011 Flora and Fauna, Smith and Vallee Gallery, Edison, WA.
2011 Schools of Thought, ARTSWEST, Seattle, WA.
2011 Spokane Arts Commission: All Media Juried Show, Chase Gallery, Spokane, WA.
2010 Long Drawn Out Process: Group Drawing Exhibition, Anchor Art Space, Anacortes, WA.
2010 Smith and Vallee Gallery, Edison, WA.
2010 3rd Annual CVG Juried Exhibition, Bremerton, WA.
2009 11th Annual Art Port Townsend Juried Art Exhibit, Port Townsend, WA.
2009 Envisioning Cascadia, Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, Port Angeles, WA.
2000 Northwest Annual Juried Exhibition, Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA.
1996 13th Annual Gallery 76 Juried Exhibition, Wenatchee College, Wenatchee, WA.
1992 Northwest International Juried Exhibition, Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA.

Awards and Organizations

2023 Artist Trust SOLA Award Winner
2022 Artistic Excellence Award, Anacortes Arts Festival Juried Exhibition
2022 Earth Creative Artist
2019 Northwest Designer Craftsmen
2018 Citizen Scientist, COASST Marine Debris Monitoring
2017 Juror’s Award, Re:Acclimating, Kirkland Arts Center, Kirkland, WA.
2017 Citizen Scientist, Heron Foraging Survey
2017 Brush Creek Residency, Brush Creek Ranch Wyoming
2017 Excellence Award, Anacortes Arts Festival Juried Exhibition
2010 Artist Trust GAP Grant
2009 Merit Award, 11TH Annual Art Port Townsend Juried Exhibition

Collections

King County Public Art Collection, Seattle, WA.
Kent City Art Collection, Kent, WA.
Island Hospital, Anacortes, WA.
Skagit Regional Clinics, Riverbend, Mount Vernon, WA.

Publications

2011 book cover, Necessity of Flight, Cherry Grove Collections, Cincinnati, OH.
1996 Crosscurrents, Washington State Humanities, Washington, WA.