Born in Boston as one of nine children, she grew up in Westport, MA, and has spent most of her life in the Southcoast area of New England. Although her passion has always been art, her career initially took a different path, working for ten years as a computer software manager at Lotus Corporation and IBM, and founding the first quality engineering lab for Media 100, a digital video editing system. After retiring, she embraced what she calls her "third life," dedicating herself fully to painting. She works primarily in acrylics and oils, studying both historical and contemporary artists, and continues to expand her skills through selective classes, seminars, and workshops.