I majored in art in High School. I began my college art training at S.U.N.Y., New Paltz in upstate New York and completed a B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing in 1982 at the Philadelphia College of Art.

I returned from Philadelphia and worked at an art supply store. There, I learned more than any art school could teach about materials for artists, the choices, qualities, and options. I gained an appreciation for the best materials and how to find them. In 1985, I decided to continue my art training. I needed a dose of full out studio time and concentration. I received my M. F. A. from Pratt Institute in Painting and Art History in 1988. There, I fine tuned my technique, learned how to talk about my work and knew once and for all, that art was my best form of communication.