Like all
youngsters, I fell
in love with art and
the creative process
early on. Due to
not being able to
watch tv, that love
of creativity was
allowed to grow and
develop. I knew I
wanted to be an
artist when I grew
up. There was no
doubt in my mind. I
had a fabulous art
teacher in grade
school named Mr.
Brown. He was very
encouraging and
taught me how to
shade...something
that revolutionized
my drawings (at
least in my mind).
College
didn't agree with my
independent spirit,
so I quit, got
married and started
down my art career.
Thinking back, I
would get ideas in
my head on how I
could make $$ with
my artwork and my
self confidence
allowed me to pursue
the ideas at full
throttle. After
some success with
designing
stationery, cards
and prints, and
getting them into
specialized markets
(herb farms across
the US), I grew
tired of it and sold
the business (The
Country Herb). This
cleared my plate and
gave me capitol for
starting something
new. That ended up
being a rubber stamp
company called
Ornamentum. It was
at this point in my
life when I decided
I wanted to do what
pleased me,
design-wise and
forget about what I
thought people
wanted to buy.
Because of that,
business was so
great that first
year that I couldn't
keep up with it. I
sold it but
continued to design
for it for a few
years. After
awhile, I started
Zettiology based on
my husband's
scribbled doodles in
his journals. I
thought they were
fabulous and I guess
I really wanted to
prove to him that he
was an artist and
that people would be
interested in his
work. After the
initial catalog came
out I started adding
to the rubber stamp
images by designing
some of my own and
the rest is
history. Zettiology
has grown far beyond
all expectations and
because the images
are so personal for
us, we were never
tempted to sell it.
As my interest grew
and my talents
developed in art, I
started adding
collage sheets so
folks could play
with the images that
I found so much fun.
Somewhere in
the middle of this,
we became involved
with various art
groups.
Artistampers down in
Seattle took me
under their wing,
Book Artists were
very interesting to
talk to. Then there
were calligraphers
and Paper artists
and of course, the
rubberstampers. But
I saw that each of
these groups were
wrapped up in their
own little world and
I realized the
potential for mixing
all the various
elements together.
I wanted to
basically introduce
everyone we knew to
everyone else we
knew. It excited me
beyond excitement
and before I knew
it, I was feeling a
burning passion to
organize an event
with everyone
involved. It was
called Artfest, and
it happened in
Bellevue, WA. in the
early 1990's. We
had so many people
come that it far
exceeded my
expectations. It
was a mix of
vendor's and mini
workshops and it was
crazy. We did it
again before I
decided that it was
too focused on
selling and not
enough about
learning. I took a
couple of years off
until I got another
idea. I wanted to
have a sort of
camp-like experience
and have folks come
for about 4 days and
take workshops all
day, each day. We
would have a time
and place to
sell but it wouldn't
be the highlight.
This suited me much
better and it
happened in 2000 to
a group of 250 (more
than I had hoped
for) at Fort worden
in Port Townsend,
WA.
The next
year we got 400
attendees and ever
since then we've
reached our max of
500. It became
clear to me that it
was an event that
needed to keep
happening for the
sake of helping
folks get back to
their unique sense
of creativity and to
be with like-minded
people.
While all
this was happening,
I started publishing
a black and white 60
page magazine that
kept me busy. The
quarterly Studio
Zine ran for 21
issues (over 5
years). I jumped
into PLAy, a full
color magazine for
one year before the
high color printing
costs killed me. I
then did 4 more
issues of the studio
zine before I quit
for good (or so I
thought!). Before I
knew it, I was
getting the bug to
go back into
publishing and
started a new
magazine called Art
& Life. I am
currently on my 3rd
year of that
quarterly magazine
which started off in
black and white but
we went to color
about a year ago.
Publishing is in my
blood and I will
keep doing it until
folks aren't
interested in it
anymore.
While
simultaneously
running Zettiology,
Artfest and
publishing, as well
as raising my 2
daughters who are
now 21 and 23, I was
teaching as much as
I could and doing
shows about once a
month somewhere in
the US. It was a
crazy crazy
schedule.
The thing
that kept me sane
was journaling and
because I did it so
much I got better at
it. People ask me
what type of artist
I am. I hate to say
one thing. Even
"mixed media"
doesn't seem to cut
it for me. I like
to think that my
specialty is
creativity. I like
the process of it,
rather than the end
result. I NEED to
make art. It
relaxes me and
energizes me at the
same time.
My
inspiration would
definitely be books
of all kinds. I
collect children's
books, graphic
design books, art
books, etc. I think
of myself as a meat
grinder. All these
images and ideas are
constantly going in
through my brain,
getting jumbled
together and come
out through my hands
as art. It's a fun
process and keeps me
excited about life
and everything else.
I feel that
each of us has a
purpose on this
planet to do
something for the
greater good and we
need to figure out
what it is. We have
been given the tools
for doing it but
usually are not
aware that we even
have certain
capabilities inside
us. Our passions
help to point us in
that direction. My
passion was art, an
undying desire to
help others find
their own inner
artist, and an
entrepreneurial
spirit and it led me
to being a retreat
organizer and a
publisher...2 things
I never in a million
years would have
thought I could do,
but here I am doing
them and I truly
feel they are my
purpose for the
moment anyway.
Along the way I
followed my gut
instincts and I
listened when ideas
grabbed hold of me
and would wake me in
the middle of the
night. I acted on
them even when they
were scary and I
wondered if I could
pull it off. And in
the end, because I
was willing to go, I
was given help. I
love this quote that
says:
"Concerning all acts
of initiative (and
creation) there is
one elementary
truth, the ignorance
of which kills
countless ideas and
splendid plans: That
the moment one
definitely commits
oneself, then
providence moves
too. All sorts of
things occur that
would never
otherwise have
occurred. A whole
stream of events
issues from the
decision, raising in
one's favor all
manner of unforeseen
incidents and
meetings and
material assistance,
which no (human)
could have dreamed
would come his way."
-Goethe
To me,
making art is play.
I don't worry what
others will think of
it. I do it and if
others like it,
great. If they
don't, I know they
will move onto the
next artist who
inspires them. I
create from my gut.
I let whatever is
inside of me come
out, so I step aside
as much as possible
so that can happen.
I am always happy to
share any idea or
technique I know
with anyone who
wants to listen
because it is all
about creativity and
if something I say
can get someone to
shoot off down a
path of their own
creative path, there
is no greater joy
for me.
That said,
here are my stats:
Married 26
years to fellow
artist Tracy Moore.
45 years old
- Capricorn
- year of
the Tiger
2 daughters
- 22 & 24 Trista &
Tiffany
1 norwegian
elkhound/chow mix
named sophie
Love to
journal and
hand-quilt weird
things. Not so
great of a painter.
Love to eat
gourmet food and
read gourmet
magazines. Not so
much into the actual
cooking.
Am currently
getting our studio
ready for workshops
here.
Love
electronica music
the most.
Zero one, Phutureprimitive,
evanescence, josh
groban, erika badu,
sade.
We live
about 20 minutes
from seattle out in
the country.
We are surrounded by
hills and pastures
and lots and lots of
trees.
traveled to:
england, cancun,
hawaii, caymen
islands, st. john's,
bermuda, cozumel,
tokyo, nome alaska,
florida, mass.,
north carolina,
maryland, texas, new
york, philly,
cleveland, rhode
island, california,
utah, new mexico,
nevada, arizona,
oregon, vancouver
BC, Victoria BC,
anchorage, idaho,
puerto vallarta,
hermosillo. we
like going places.
favorite
pastime: reading
about other worlds,
other dimensions,
metaphysics and
related topics.
Yes I believe in aliens
too.
