My father was an artist, a wood carver. When I was a child, he bought me a set of acrylic paints and a little table easel.  I enjoyed painting and creating. When my dad passed away, I stopped painting for many years. I took it up again when I was in law school. I had never painted portraits, but I was inspired to do so when I was representing a Mayan boy in our law school's immigration clinic.  His mother's unbelievable resilience in the face of cruelty and abuse by this boy's father connected with me on a deep level. She was my first subject.  As an empath I have the ability to absorb the feelings of others and connect on a visceral level. This connection is very useful in the work that I do an immigration attorney, representing asylum seekers and survivors of all forms of abuse.  Likewise, in order to paint, I need to feel that connection with the subject.

 

Oftentimes, the paintings I have created have come through great emotion, especially early on- studying for the bar exam, battling leukemia, opening a law practice, anticipating the birth of my daughter. The portraits I have done more recently are of my most inspirational clients. 

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Aside from doing human portraits, I enjoy doing portraits of pets. When I go on vacation, I like to bring my "swiss army palette" of watercolors and bring some of the memories of our trips home. 

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I am a member of the Dedham Art Association, where I served on the board for two years.

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