Biography
Artistic Journey
As a child, I loved drawing, painting, and spending time alone in nature, and wanted to become an artist. However, upon graduating from High School in Ireland I decided to travel and experience life in order to broaden the horizons of my sheltered upbringing.
I finally settled in the United States, and pursued my artistic ambitions with more focus. Originally I started my studies in beautiful San Diego, but two years later fate led me to Arizona to finish my painting degree. My favorite method of expression is painting, and I also enjoy combining different media to create mixed-media art. I like working with clay from time to time.
During my college experience, I exhibited at such venues as Palomar College’s Boehm Gallery and the Del Mar Fair in California. Locally I exhibited at Mesa Community College, ASU’s Downtown Center and Step Gallery, and Mesa Arts Center. Upon graduating from ASU I decided to take an artistic hiatus, partly due to pursuing my master’s degree and getting started in the field of education, but also because I wanted to assimilate all I had learned in art school and discover my unique artistic voice.
This self imposed period of quiet seclusion with my artwork allowed me the opportunity to develop my own distinct style. I now feel comfortable with my own personal vision of reality and the dilemma of how to translate this to a visual language to share with others.
Spiritual Journey
I was raised Catholic in Ireland and attended Catholic schools. As a teenager, I began to notice a strange juxtaposition between ancient Celtic spiritual beliefs and the church. My mother had ill health throughout her life, and lost her battle with cancer when I was only 23 years old. This was a devastating experience, and as a result, I began to question if the soul survived death. I had a very deep bond with my mother and asked her if she was still somehow “alive” in some other realm to give me a sign. She graciously obliged on many occasions (No, I don’t see dead people!). However for several months following my Mother’s passing, myself, family members and a few close friends witnessed some unusual phenomena. About this time I discovered and began to voraciously read anything I could find by Hermann Hesse. Through his writings, I became aware of, and was intrigued with Eastern mysticism.
After a year mourning my mother and helping out at home, I moved to London where I regained my joy for life and just had fun! After two years this got stale, and I decided that I should choose what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. As a result, I moved to the United States to attend college. I settled in sunny Southern California, and by chance ended up renting a room approximately five minutes from the Self Realization Fellowship in Encinitas, CA. I would often go to the beautiful meditation gardens, and occasionally attended lectures.
Fate led me to Arizona to complete my degree, and I became intrigued with Native American culture. I’ve worked as a teacher on an Indian reservation for seven years and have developed a deeper insight into certain aspects of this unique culture.
I started attending yoga classes to deal with the stress of the first year of teaching and soon became aware of the spiritual aspects of yoga and meditation. I had a few glimpses of the “no mind” state in a “fitness yoga” class at the gym during my first few months of practice. I’ve been practicing yoga for nine years and during that time my practice has evolved and deepened. Now I find balance by a strong physical practice complemented by yin/restorative classes.
In December 2007 I attended a transformative spiritual workshop in Los Angeles. Spending time in the presence of a living enlightened master, I experienced a profound energy shift in my being. Since then, I have continued my exploration of spirituality by daily meditation, regular yoga practice, a healthy lifestyle, and renewed emphasis on creating my own personal artwork. I continue to attended classes and workshops conducted by various teachers from different cultures and disciplines.
Professional Journey
I earned my BFA degree in painting (summa cum laude) from ASU. Subsequently, I obtained my teaching certification and MAEd. from the University of Phoenix. I have worked in the education field for over ten years and currently teach high school art. I also served a graduation coach at the high school level for two years. My artwork has been exhibited in CA and locally at such venues as ASU’s Step Gallery and Mesa Arts Center. I received my Transformational Life Coach and Reiki certification from the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Tempe.
