My upbringing prepared me for the fact that there are many things that can’t be put into words and don’t even fit into a reel full of frames. I grew up in New Haven and West Haven, Connecticut -- close to my grandparents, immigrants from Russia and Romania. They were part of the Ellis Island crowd with all the hard knocks implied. Their languages for private conversations were always in the background. I heard them and understood the emotions even if I couldn’t translate. My paintings – nonspecific at first glance – usually are similarly clear about what they mean to say.

I’ve lived in the tropics – in Hawaii -- and south of the border where bright colors are taken for granted. The landscape is full of color, as is the wildlife. Color also describes cultures. I love the intensity of the tropical vision, clothing, vegetation and music that goes with it. When I look at my creations, I can often hear songs and compositions in the background. The sound of color is quite real.

Yes, I have learned French, Spanish, Portuguese, and, of course, English; but the language of visual expression is the most powerful form of communication I know. This is in spite of the fact that I have also been a writer for most of my life. My credits include being a columnist for the L.A. Times, a contributor to Business Week Magazine, feature writer for the Honolulu Star Bulletin, editor of Incentive Travel Magazine and screenwriter for films and documentaries.

In 2002, I went back to school and earned a masters degree in communication with a major in film, video and art. In reality, I did two degrees but only got credit for one. I took every painting class they had at Georgia State University. I couldn’t stay away from the art department. Years before, I had also enrolled in Bellas Artes in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and spent a year at California College of Arts and Crafts. It was, essentially, a lifelong journey to be "good enough." I always worried about the quality of what I was doing -- much like children who constantly ask, are we there yet?

Now, I exhibit my paintings regularly, am active in Women’s Caucus for Art and its International Committee and paint like a madwoman.

My home is in Georgia where I raised my two children. They are in the arts, too. Robert, the oldest, is an animator for television. Andre, the youngest, is a singer/songwriter and a painter. Yes, it is something we possibly catch by association, but I do believe it is part of our genetic make-up. All three of us are happiest when we are creative.