I was born into an Air Force family. We moved often. My mother was a painter and never missed an opportunity to take us to a new museum or gallery. We lived in France when I was a child and she delighted in dragging us through one gallery after another. I thank her for that. She also taught us to try to look at things without judgment and to try to find whatever visual beauty might be there. Near a shipyard once when I was a teenager I was appalled at a mountain of paint cans that were beginning to rust. She advised me to look again at the colors and textures and see it differently. My Dad was a mechanical wizard and I think my passion for three dimensions comes from him. I started my adult life off conservatively studying chemistry and biology and minoring in art. I had the good fortune to study with Jere Lykins at Berry College. A decade ago I studied bronze with John Quinn. I tried very hard to be practical and walk away from art. I finally gave up a few years ago and decided to answer my calling.