About

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few…”
– Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

After my initial encounter with this quote, I find it lingering in my mind whenever I set out on a new adventure, whether it be a new creative effort, a relationship or a work related situation in my life, away from a previously established routine, or way of thinking or being. “Beginner’s mind” is a reminder to focus on the present, to come to each new situation without pre-conceived ideas, perhaps due to being an expert in some particular field.

I’ve experienced many new beginnings and endings in my life so far and expect I will continue to encounter them as I move forward. The term, “established roots” rarely applies to me. The one continuous aspect of it all has been the ongoing creative process I engage in and in that I find my true value and a basis for contribution to the world around me.

I was born and raised in the New York metropolitan area and its suburbs. I displayed artistic talent very early on in life and fortunately was encouraged by my art teacher in high school to pursue a career in Fashion Design. This was a combined result of his observation that I continually changed the articles of clothing on sketches of fellow classmates and my mother, who insisted that if one “must” choose the artistic life one must channel it through a commercial vehicle in order to make a living.

This resulted in my graduation from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and a successful “run” in the fashion world. Moving into Manhattan heralded an exciting and glamorous period of my life that I still treasure today.

Towards the end of that period, I once again became very interested in the fine arts and along with designing I started sketching and painting again and began studies at the Art Student’s League in New York under Raphael Soyer, who instructed me to purchase only 6 tubes of paint, a canvas and some brushes, and “get to it,” as I did during meaningful studio type sessions that the League is so well known for.

Having also had a lifelong interest in ancient culture, I booked some travel overseas to Egypt two years in a row and due to personal interests eventually decided to move to the Middle East, where I resided for some years as an expatriate. During this time, I traveled extensively throughout the region and the world, including India, China, Japan, and several European countries as well. It was a unique opportunity to develop my painting and photography skills, exhibiting and selling work on a regular basis. This period of living and working in a foreign culture among expatriates from all over the globe encompassed one of the most formative periods of my life.

After leaving foreign shores, I once again returned to New York City where I resided, worked and completed my B.A. at Hunter College, pursuing interests in psychology, philosophy, eastern religions and art history. My favorite sources of inspiration in New York at this time were the cultural institutions, cathedrals, and Central Park for the beauty of nature there. .

In 2001, I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, where I currently reside and continue my creative endeavors furthering my interest in nature, the sea, and my natural surroundings.

Beginner’s mind is an “open mind,” allowing a free movement of ideas, thoughts and images without allowing pre-conceived or conditioned thinking (expert’s mind) to tether it.

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