About the Artist

I began carving trees after discovering an old Native American elder story rendered into modern English by David Wagoner. Some young Native Americans ask a tribal elder the following question: “What do you do when you’re lost in the forest?” The following poem is the elder’s response. Lost by David Wagoner

My hope is that others will be drawn by this tale of wonder and imagination. Ultimately, it is when we are willing to become lost, to admit that we’re lost, and to look carefully inside ourselves, that solutions  begin to reveal themselves. Becoming lost is when real change happens, and, with the attention it brings, the path toward home becomes clear. Living life creatively is a continually evolving process. My goal is to become more and more attuned to the beauty of the natural world and to our interconnectedness with all life.

I didn’t begin taking pottery classes till 2001. Due to an autoimmune disorder that left me with lots of muscle pain and short-term memory loss. I was eventually forced to leave my teaching position causing me to also encounter severe depression. Sharon Schade, a local artist and art teacher convinced me that I didn’t have to know anything about art to enjoy pottery so I began studying with her. I also studied under Patrick Faville and am currently part of a pottery co-op headed by a marvelous teacher named Teddy Latta who also teaches at Frostburg State University. Having a creative outlet has opened new doors for me that I could never have imagined. 

At the same time, I renewed my interest in writing by taking adult education classes and studying with other writer groups in the community. Having two colleges near-by, I’ve been able to attend lots of performances plus a variety of lectures from poetry and philosophy to spirituality and health and I’ve met some amazing people whose friendship has been a treasure.

I was born and raised in Frostburg, Maryland and graduated from high school in 1963. Frostburg was an ideal place to grow up and my family and friends as well as St. Michael Elementary and Beall High Schools played a large role in molding me to face an unknown, sometimes unimaginable future. There were teachers who really cared and many who left a lasting impression. 

There had been a shortage of teachers in Maryland at that time, so if one were willing to sign a document agreeing to teach for at least two years in MD, he or she could attend college in the teacher education program free of tuition. I worked part time at Murphy’s General Store and at a local snack bar to help pay for books and other expenses. My two sisters and our brother also lived at home, worked part time and graduated from FSU. Our great grandfather, William Brady and his sons, who worked in the coal mines, were part of a group of local miners who many years previously had donated a portion of each pay check to see that a local teacher’s college could be built. Little did they know what their sacrifice had contributed and continues to contribute to Western Maryland.  I graduated from Frostburg State University with BS and MS degrees in elementary education.

I now live in Cumberland with my husband, Carey who is a skilled carpenter and builder and is a retired teacher from the Allegany County School System. We have two grown children, Amy and Brad, two grandchildren, Evan and Kendall, two kittens and two pugs.

Writing has also been a lifelong love for me and whether I’ve kept my writings buried in dusty drawers, or shared them with professors, writers' groups, editors, or published them, the writer's flame burns undying in me. I taught third grade for twenty wonderful years and treasure children, with a special thanks to our own two amazing kids. I feel that the writers and artists must take up their responsibility to create art that inspires, teaches and heals humanity. Thanks to my husband, I own a pottery studio under the logo, “Sacred Earth Art”.

A special thank you goes to Terry Lee of Milestonecube.com for designing my logo.