Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in Houston?
I grew up on the east coast of North Carolina…in Wilmington. I went to school in Tennessee, worked in the arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Charleston, South Carolina, and most recently lived in Scotland before landing in Houston. I have been here for almost 2 years now!
Child(ren) and Age(s)?
Two boys, ages 4 and 2.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
Both of my kids were born in Scotland! And my eldest son had the most lovely accent when we first moved here…he called me mummy and it always made my heart skip a beat. It is totally gone now but I have videos.
Favorite local things to do in Houston?
I am a beach bum. Growing up on the coast, I spent every day of my childhood weekends and summers at the beach. Even though it is much more of a commitment to go to the beach for the day than to a local pool, I just love the freedom my children have there and it is my happy place. My favorite thing to do on the weekends is to spend a day at the beach with my family, playing with the kids, and teaching them about the importance of marine preservation and how we can do our part to keep our beaches and oceans clean.
Do you have a favorite family-friendly restaurant in the area?
I’m sure it has been said a million times in your interviews, but Little Matt’s is the BEST!
What is your go-to activity for yourself for pampering or for fun?
I could spend all day gallery and museum hopping around Houston. I’ll never turn down an opportunity to go to the MFAH, and I adore the Menil and the Cy Twombly Gallery. However, my feel-good day begins with a Sonic Hot 60 class at YogaWorks in Bellaire, followed by a day of painting in my studio.
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
I am an artist, so my creative endeavor is also my business! I create abstract paintings that explore the beauty and concurrent destruction of the coastal environment, by examining the environmental issue of marine debris. My process begins by personally removing litter from the beach. I bring some of the fragments back to my studio, where I reimagine them into my work. By rendering the shapes and colors of the fragments on a large scale with a white background, the viewer can experience them in a new way. My images walk a fine line between destruction and beauty. My studio is open by appointment, so please give me a shoutout if you would like to come see my work in person!
How has the Houston community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
Honestly, it is just simply the lovely people I have met, both personally and professionally.
What is the best advice for juggling mommyhood and running a business (or volunteering, working, etc)?
I like to let my kids see me working! Not on my phone…not at my computer…but in the studio, CREATING. I love my job, and they know that. They see that I am doing something I love. As an artist, I hope that by allowing them into my studio, I am cultivating not only an interest in the arts, but also an understanding that work is fun!
What would you tell the old “You” before you had kids?
Enjoy sleeping in late!
Funniest shortcut/routine for helping you through parenthood?
I let my 2 year old and 4 year old share clothes. The 4 year old wears them a bit tight, and the 2 year old wears them a bit loose. Works for them…works for me!