Born into a family of working artists, musicians, dancers and teachers, I was learning art at an early age. Drawing was most favored. My Father who had studied at the Art Students’ League, NYC in the 1930’s with George Bridgman and Kimon Nicolaides, taught me human anatomy and life drawing by their techniques. He felt that figure drawing was the main key to drawing anything. My sister studied at the “League” in the 1960s with Frank Riley and she began teaching me by his method. At the age of 14 and 15, I too studied at the famous art institution attending youth life drawing classes held on Saturday mornings.

My sister and I were also taught the family trade, Graphic Design (then known as “Commercial Art”) and worked in our Dad’s home-located advertising business. Later in life, both of us supported ourselves well in that profession.

At 16 years old, I came to Woodstock, NY to be an apprentice (intern) at the original Woodstock Playhouse, interested in design and technical areas of theatre. I returned to jobs there every summer through the 1960’s. In between, at Bard College, I majored and worked in theatre and studied Sculpture with Harvey Fite. A study that informed my developing drawing and rendering skills, also useful in scene and costume design.

After college, returning to Woodstock, my experience in graphics became in the most useful and financially viable. Working free-lance for many years, I produced logos, illustration, ads, business cards, letterheads, brochures, and hand painted store signs.

In more recent years my work has been in building design for additions, renovations and a few entirely new constructed buildings. Most projects included, as well, the drafting of plans for construction and renderings of exterior and interior views.

Through all the different occupations…I have always drawn, inked, painted, sculpted and rendered, but rarely exhibited my non-commercial work. The “Leaping Trout” project has been fun and interesting. It is a privilege being in the company of so many wonderful local artists who love this region.