MY FUEL – seriously good strong lattes and my passion for brand design.

MY MOTIVATIONS – living at the foothills of a National Park and waking to birds and the sunrise on the mountains, my daughter’s laugh.

MY LOVES – almond croissants, camping in the middle of nowhere, painting, a glass of red under the stars, my family, tacos, new socks, wandering the mountains, yoga, rock climbing, café breakfasts, tacos, the details and textures in nature, happy dogs, and did I mention tacos?

MY BACKGROUND – originally from the green, rainy Pacific Northwest USA. Moved to brown, dry Australia in 2003 (and adore it). Studio 8 has been run from San Francisco, Melbourne and now in the heart of the beautiful Grampians/Gariwerd.

MY HISTORICAL REFERENCES – I started my design career working with large companies like Target, Dunlop and Paramount Pictures before deciding that small business was my jam. My style has been shaped by formal training in America, Europe, and Australia in the areas of design, art, architecture and photography. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design from Seattle Pacific University (honours), a minor in Business Administration, a diploma in Desktop Production from the Art Institute of Seattle and training in photography from Photography Studies College in Melbourne. I have worked as a Designer for the last two decades and have won awards and grants for my work. I have marketing, design, strategy and project management expertise, as well as experience in agency, in-house, and freelance design with a wide variety of clients.

MY ART– my contemporary artworks are a response to the intricacies and uniqueness of Australian nature in the form of illuminated sculptures, works on paper, paintings, encaustic and carved sculptures in local stone and wood. See my work here.