As a contemporary Renaissance woman, this expresses through many methods and mediums, like the facets of a jewel.  There is no end to the magic of creating with our hands, and the time-honored realm of fiber arts feels especially magical to me as an artist.  Whether it is transforming wool roving from our farm’s sheep into adorable felted creatures or turning colorful yarns into intricate tapestries, the magic continually renews in my own practice and through teaching others.

Erindale Tapestry Studio is grounded on my family’s century farm in northern Wisconsin—tucked within the boundaries of the Chequamegon National Forest.  My home studio is a 16-foot diameter yurt nestled on the farm, looking out over the gardens and orchards.  But as many artists know, the world is really your studio, and projects come with me wherever I go—whether it’s a cabled crochet piece in my shoulder bag, a sketchbook under my arm, or my latest writing journal on the side table.  My family is amazingly patient as projects tend to take over the house as well!  Creating is a deep part of my life, and I cannot imagine feeling fully supported to make ideas manifest without piles of yarn and closets full of fabric.  The stash is, after all, part and parcel to the process.

With 30 looms plus a number of frames, hooks, and other hand tools, the possibilities for expressions in fibers are nearly endless.  I began the journey at least by age eight, when my mother taught me how to use a crochet hook to make blankets for my favorite stuffed animals.  At 13, I began training in Navajo tapestry weaving with master weaver Fran Potter, which is about the same time I began earnestly working in costumery.  In 2011, I completed my Masters of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts at Goddard College, interweaving my love of narrative with my fiber arts and music practices.

Currently, my focus has shifted to being a teaching artist, infusing hands-on learning with stories, backstories, history, culture, meaning-making, context, self-expression.  The links at the bottom of this page are a welcoming way to deep-dive into my teaching practice and pedagogy.  Unlocking the creativity of others has been an amazing journey that continues to inform and uplift my own creativity.  We truly do thrive best when we all thrive together.

I hope that you will come to feel a sense of creativity’s magic as well, whether through this site, my finished pieces, or learning opportunities.  Every element is interwoven with compassion for details and deep questions of meaning making and the overlay of form and narrative.  My hope is that you too will be inspired to engage in the journey of liberating the creative soul.