I'm on the right with my sister Janet on the left. Photo by Pasquale Dante Avallone

A charcoal sketch of my sister that I did when I was in High School.

A very early charcoal sketch of my sister Janet while she watched TV.

A pencil sketch of my mother while she watched TV.

A pen and ink wash of my sister while she slept.

       I'm an artist, illustrator, writer, poet and crafter from Rochester, New York. I grew up in the town of Irondequoit, near Lake Ontario.  The name is of Iroquois origin and means "Where the land meets the water".
 As a former art teacher, I love to write and illustrate children's stories, fairytales and folktales.
​      ​My father taught me to draw when I was six. I still have his drawing lessons. Right away I started sketching my family and our pets.  Early Saturday mornings I would sneak into my sister's room and draw her while she slept because that way she wouldn't move. Growing up, she was my best model. Later in life, I studied and taught life drawing from hired models.
​      My parent's love of books and reading brushed off on me. We had a library with of all kinds of books. My first favorite was My Friend Flicka by M. O’Hara. 
     I started riding at six and at twenty-one worked on horse farms.
More recently, I was a groom and a side walker at the EquiCenter, a therapeutic riding and horsemanship center in Mendon, NY.  I love horses and you'll find many in my portfolios.
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M. A. Masters in Studio Art, Marywood University, Scranton, PA.
B. F. A. Bachelor of Fine Arts- Printmaking-Intaglio, Nova Scotia Collage of Art and Design, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Southend on-sea College of Art, Essex, England. One year Intro to Art, after High School.
New York State Certification in Art Education preK-12.

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My Dad used to watch TV while lying on the carpet next to our poodle.

An early charcoal sketch of my sister's feet for practice.

An early charcoal sketch of my hand for fun and practice.

Pen and ink sketch of my great aunt sitting by the fire.

I just love photography and I'm often taking photos outside and in. Some I use as reference and some are just for pleasure.

My studio companion and service dog.

Sometimes I sew plushies of the characters that are in my stories.

Display of my paintings at the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, New York.

At the EquiCenter, Mendon, NY

I'm a published poet and also painted the cover of this chap book.

A coloring book that I illustrated