After earning my Bachelors of Architecture and practicing for firms in Boston and Honolulu for 4 years, I went back to school to earn my Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Hawaii in 1996.

My professional work is based on memorializing individuals, as it is my passion. When I am working on a memorial, I research as much as possible throughout the creation of the piece. I gather information from family members, photographs and any print or media I can find about the person to be immortalized. The challenge lies in trying to capture the spirit of the person I am modeling. The best way to find this, if the individual has already passed, is talk story with those who were known and loved by the person. By the time the piece is finished, I truly feel as if I too knew the personality behind the clay.

The work completed through previous commissions highlighted the fact that projects of this significance require a collaboration of committee and individual visions honed to bring the comprehensive view of the piece to light. I bring my open mind with intent to hear all ideas regarding the manifestation of the work. When I am working with new clients, I request as much involvement of them as possible- When working with a committee of individuals, I encourage a continuous open dialog. I use the stop points in the process that naturally occur to gain approval from the client(s) before proceeding. Nothing is installed for perpetuity unless everyone is happy! I have enjoyed working with all of my clients thus far and, in fact, remain in contact with all of them.