Babs

I come from a family of six Midwestern kids with lots of East Coast influence. We always wondered where all the artistic and creative sensibility came from, but I think it was my mom's side of the family. I have three brothers, all of whom are creative – two as sculptors and glassblowers, while the oldest is an engineer. I have two sisters, both of whom are very creative. One of my sisters was a potter for years and is now an incredibly talented knitter. The other is a pattern maker for a clothing manufacturer. My father was an insurance agent, having taken over the family insurance business at age 20 when his father died. My mother was among other things a knitter and a seamstress, but served the community actively working as a volunteer on many local service agencies such as the YWCA, the Oasis Women's Center, and helping to start a daycare so women would have a safe place for their children while they were at work.

The collective effect of my family is that all six of us have college degrees or more because of the importance my parents placed on education.  We have all been small business owners or entrepreneurs at one point or another in our lives. We all traveled when we were young and many of us continue to travel for work and pleasure. My college education includes a finance business degree followed by an MBA. My degrees were earned when I was in my 30's.

My family life includes my husband of 39 years, my step-daughter and son-in-law and our 3 rapidly growing grandchildren! We also have had a number of wonderful dogs and cats who have shared our lives and who have been the recipients of our daily love and attention.

My work life has been hugely varied. From being a chef's apprentice, a real estate agent, an insurance agent and owning the family business, an office manager in a mental health facility, a secretary in a hospital, director of staff development in the same hospital, teaching business courses at a community college, teaching marketing at a university, to dyeing yarn and fiber... all these jobs have provided me with a rich store of knowledge to draw upon and which I am grateful for when I am presented with the normal and abnormal dilemmas of life. 

My life experiences have given me insights and thoughts that urge me to make color in the ways that I do, to be an entrepreneur, to look at the world in the way that I do. Read more about my philosophy as an artist here.