Curriculum Vitae

I am a  visual artist, dancer, and facilitator based in the beautiful Monterey Bay area. My work delves into themes that express deep layers of identity and belonging, drawing inspiration from my ancestors and their traditions. I explore these themes through dance and mask making, and express them in my mandala pieces which reflect imagery that sybolize celestial balance, alchemical magic, archetypal figures, and geometric symmetry. My photography explores a sense of place and home. I create masks that express mythological narratives such as Descent and Acsenion, and the aspects of ourselves we encounter in our own personal underworlds. I observe nature closely and create small ink pointillism illustrations in an attempt to represent the layers and depth of the colors of leaves. In my Spire series I express with acrylic paints my fascination with light and shadow and how they play and interact on the wilderness of the Big Sur back country. I have found artistic freedom  in collage art which allows for a childlike playfulness in imagery composition. My exploration of the mirror as metaphor and myths as roadmaps to personal rites of passage have opened up a portal of personal story telling. Through my art, I invite viewers on a journey of my self-discovery and personal healing. Drawing on my background in dance, I use movement as a way to connect to a deeper understanding of both personal and collective stories. My work is a reflection of the belief that dance is not only a form of expression, but also a powerful tool for being in relationship with one's innermost self. My art serves as a catalyst for transformation and growth. I am the creator and founder of Rite of Passage Art and Rite of Passage Dance. Rite of Passage Art is a testament to my belief that art is a way of knowing, an expression of my sense of place, a way to relate to nature, and a way to be in communication with personal and collective archetypes. Rite of Passage Dance is devoted to creating personal and collective movement experiences to ritualize and mark time. My deepest Rite of Passage practice is mask making as personal artifact and as a tool for reaching states of liminality in dance that bring us to a place of personal and collective healing. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts from The Evergreen State College and a Master’s in Fine Arts Degree in Interdisiplinary Arts and Writing from the California Institute of Integral Studies.

8 Recent Art Works

Shame and Guilt

Cancer

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Artist Statement

My 8 recent art works are a series of plaster gauze and clay masks that sublimate negative emotion and painful personal experiences. 

Three of the masks capture emotion trapped in the physical body and how they show up through facial expression. For these three masks I used a four step process. The first step, I danced as a way of accessing emotion. Second, I sketched my facial expression and journaled memories associated with the emotion. Third, I painted  the expression. The fourth step was creating a mask that represents the emotion. These three masks “nest” into eachother, representing the layers of emotion. 

Three of the masks express my recent experience with breast cancer. The first mask represenrts how it felt to be diagnosed with breast cancer. The second represents how it felt to receive post surgery radiation treatment everyday for three weeks. The last is the courage it took to believe in my life after cancer recovery. This last mask is represented by a Lioness. 

Two of the masks are interpretations of mythological figures. One is my interpretation of Persephone who was forced into the underworld. The other is Tree Spirit - a promise of rebirth in spring. 

Persephone - A custom mask commissioned by Adriana Rizzolo of Body Temple Church

https://www.bodytemple.church

Grief and Loss

Radiation

Tree Spirit - The Promise of Renewal

Anger and Rage

Courage