I love creating pop up murals, especially when kids and families can join in on the painting fun. This mural was created for the Lakeview Neighborhood in Chicago.

"Art making experiences bring communities together."

I am truly grateful for public transportation, I don't have a car, so without it, I would be stranded. But, those of us who ride the buses and trains everyday are often waiting, with crowds of others, to get to our desired location. 

What if Art could make that 5, 10 or 15 minutes of waiting even just a little more enjoyable?

This summer, I worked with Katherine Darnstadt at Latent Design to turn a busy bus stop into an "Art-Making-Moment" at the Polish triangle in Wicker Park in Chicago. We created a mural making experience on each of the bus waiting stations and invited everyone to participate in painting while they waited.

I created the white outlines and asked folks to create their own art, faces, patterns and textures inside the shapes while they waited for their next bus. A few artists even missed their next bus to paint a little while longer! The final pieces were filled with so much color and diversity.

"I love developing artistic opportunities where others feel free to experiment creatively. Even the smallest "creative moment" can enhance someone's day."

The Wabash Arts Crawl (WAC) is a yearly event combining universities, businesses and artists on Wabash Avenue in Chicago. The street festival comes to life as students and locals participate in hands on art activities. Partnering with ZipCar, I took their largest vehicle and painted it like a coloring book page. Then we set up a paint station and folks could paint their own patterns and designs. The final piece was a brilliant colorful work of art. Everyone was so excited to paint on a car.

"People love participating in the creative process, it's a challenge and it's fun!"

People want to see something different and they want to be part of something creative. This hand lettered mural for ServSafe & The National Restaurant Association is a great example of how to engage your audience through an art experience. We were in the very center of the entire trade show with a big beautiful booth. I created a cityscape of Chicago using the names of ServSafe certified clients as they engaged and interacted with our team. Attendees were invited to find and photograph their name and this lovely video was created to provide fun and clever social media content.

"I love turning letters into patterns and patterns into great art!"

Artists are often catalysts for bringing out the creativity in others. Myself and two other artists were chosen to be part of this opening sequence for a conference about using your gifts to transform lives. 

"Watching an artist work is an inspiring experience, it reminds us that we are all created uniquely and we all have something special to contribute."

These collaborative works of art were created during the Ohio Chapter of Landscape Architects (OCASLA) Awards Banquet. The event took place at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Creating a piece of art together at an event is a great way to engage a group, it emphasizes conversation and collaboration. The concept behind these paintings are based on Robert Burle Marx work, who was a visionary landscape architect and artist. These pieces were part of a raffle at the end of the night. 

"Art helps us see something or someone in a new way."

The inbound Marketing Conference was a high-energy event with lots of clever folks interacting and learning about the power of social media marketing. IdeaPaint sponsored the art by providing 3 pre-painted white boards. We connected the boards together and my 10 foot drawing explains the HubSpot Software 4-step process. It was a fun challenge to consider different ways to express attraction, movement, analysis and results.

"It’s always exciting to use art to tell an interesting story."

These two paintings hang in the Ministry Center of Willow Chicago Church and were designed to resemble stain glass windows. We hosted an appreciation night to thank volunteers for their contribution and create something new together. My art experiences and workshops allow people of all skill levels to contribute. Each section is unique and the finished piece is reminiscent of a beautiful quilt or mosaic.

"Diversity creates artistic beauty."

I am a teaching artist with Urban Gateways, an organization in Chicago that trains artists to teach their discipline to students in the Chicago Public Schools. I have also had the privilege of teaching workshops at the Chicago Children's Museum. I enjoy sharing art with young people and helping others develop as creative thinkers and art makers.

"It is such a joy to see a child's delight when they learn a creative skill and a new world opens up to them."