Photography has been a hobby since my youth but only in the last few years has it become something quite different. I work with digital cameras and 35mm film and do not digitally manipulate the images. I use Leica equipment primarily – R, M & SM lenses – as well as a few Kilfitt and Topcon lenses. I attempt to exploit the particular characteristics of each lens – thus the term “lens painting.”

After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance, I completed the course work for a Master of Arts degree in music history at Duke University. I feel my love of music greatly influences my photography.

I lived in Los Angeles, California, for twenty years, obtaining a Master of Science in Library Science degree from the University of Southern California. I worked as a librarian for several years. I also obtained certification in Interior Design from UCLA Extension during this period. Then, in 1990, after spending eight intense and transformative years studying metaphysics with Tara Singh at the Foundation for Life Action and the Joseph Plan Foundation, I returned to my hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, to care for an aging parent and, as it turned out, continue my work as a librarian.

During the years, as her health declined, it became less and less practical to get away from home to take pictures. At the same time, one of the sitters helping with her care was an avid gardener and frequently brought fresh flowers to the house. I began to take pictures of the flowers.