I have been making art on and off for most of my life, even as a child, using index cards and colored pencils or crayons.

Fortunately, I was taken under the artistic wing of Mrs Sulmonetti at P.S./J.H.S 80 and worked with her in a special art class. I then attended The High School of Music and Art (which became one of the best experiences of my life), and continued making art as a Fine Arts major at Hunter College.

Later on, I took art classes at the New York Horticultural Society, St. John’s University, and the New York Botanical Garden.

For many years now, I have been taking painting and drawing classes at the 92nd St Y., Wave Hill, and the JCC in Manhattan. I generally work in pencil, charcoal, and pastels, and more recently occasionally in oils.

Even when I’m not physically making art, I look at my surroundings with an artistic eye, and visualize myself painting or drawing a particular scene or object.

Mostly, I enjoy crafting landscapes or still lifes, and make art the same way that I create my vegetarian meals. I observe what what I’ve chosen, absorb the essence of it, and then, without following a formula or “recipe”, do what I want with it. It’s a most satisfying way to work, and makes the finished product more personal.