Falling in love….that is how I felt when I first saw glass-on-glass mosaic in the western window of Bedrock in Seattle. The light! The color! It took my breath away.

I have been called an old soul, which is why I love mosaic. Mosaic bridges the ancient and modern worlds, in all its elements: inspiration, design, materials. Mosaic is design, and it is work. Mosaic is spiritual, yet absolutely physical. Mosaic blends soft beauty and hard-edged tesserae. Mosaic births something new out of brokenness.

Lately, I’ve been experimenting more with sewing. My mom is a fine seamstress, but I only recently really started getting into this. In the summer of 2018, I made my first quilt, a king-sized creation fully designed, pieced, and quilted by me–on a small domestic machine. I don’t let a big project deter me; I had a vision, I learned what I needed to learn, and I love that quilt!

In bringing any creative work from dream to concrete reality, I thrive on the interplay of problem-solving brain, working with one’s hands, and honoring the unique tools of the trade. I sense the legacy of my family — a quiltmaker, a steelworker, farmers – people who worked with tools to create durable, useful, and beautiful items for their communities.

My artist’s mindset informs who I am as an educator and leader, too:

• I see the big picture AND the details that are required to make the vision a reality.
• I backwards plan with the end in mind, and adapt and adjust when something goes wrong. I don’t let mistakes stop me; they often lead to new discoveries.
• I want to make beautiful, practical things for people–not fragile, breakable things that one can never touch.