About

I value design in every aspect of my life as an amateur watercolor artist, home decorator, chef, and educator. I have found that continuous growth and employing design thinking is essential, whether related to color study, culinary technique, travel planning, or the learning.

As an artist, I incorporate my love of color, travel, and observation into sketches with watercolor, pen and ink. I have found that I no longer return from trips with volumes of photos. Instead I have found enjoyment in the peace that comes from sitting, observing, and sketching; I look over my sketchbooks and relive experiences frequently, something I have rarely done with the tens of thousands of photos I have taken over time. Each sketch subject is carefully chosen, whether a special scene for my travel journal or the garden landscape at home, and evokes memories and recaptures the feeling of the experience.

I originally created this site as an assignment for a design thinking course that was part of an instructional technology education program. I needed a place to post my work, and another platform I had been using for blogging about my art, travel, and food exploration was not sophisticated enough to meet the tech needs. Since completing the program, I brushed the dust off this site, converted the coursework posts to be archived, and started anew. Since then I have been very intermittent with my posting, always intending to be more consistent…but I keep trying!

In December 2023 I completed a 30-year career as a public school educator in Massachusetts, having served for 17 years as an administrator, primarily as a middle school principal, and 13 as a teacher in middle and elementary schools. Each day I had the opportunity to put my passions to work, interacting with students to encourage active participation and creativity, and supporting educators to design learning experiences that engage and motivate these same students. It was not without its challenges, but I feel fortunate to have been gifted this opportunity. And now that I have retired, I have more time for art.

I am happiest when I am surrounded by color, in a city, at the beach (particularly in Costa Rica), or dining on interesting cuisine. What you will find here are my musings about art, travel, design, and creation. Welcome.