creative artists.  My mother, who made copper enameled jewelry, sent me at age six to my first art class with Belle Baranceanu.  Under her instruction I developed a simplified, graphic approach when

models -- animals at the San Diego Zoo.  I was fascinated with birds, choosing to draw pink flamingos and a cockatoo named King Tut. 

 

Later, my bird fascination led to a bachelor's degree in Zoology from the University of

California. Understanding bird behavior enhanced my interest in drawing birds. When I moved from the west coast with my husband and settled in Beaufort, North Carolina, I began to use my art skills, working as a graphic artist and a scientific illustrator.  This entailed preparing drawings for publication for researchers at Duke, UNC, NC Fisheries Lab, and ECU.