I attended the Cleveland School of Art and am an alumna of the CIA. I continued my studies at workshops at the Universidad de Mexico-Puebla, Mexico-Rome, Italy-Trinity College-Venice, Italy and School of Art and Design, Nantucket. I also enjoyed workshops with Judy Betts in Mexico, Zoltan Szabo, Frank Webb and Don Andrews.

After art school I married Sy Lachiusa, a prize winning abstract artist. Our studio was the gathering place for struggling artists nightly debating the emerging fields of Op art which they were studying with Albers at Yale and the excitement of the Modernist movement of the 50's. I was painting with acrylics in a studio in downtown Cleveland, and supporting us on commercial art. Sy was experimenting with casein, Proxilyn, egg yolk and Encaustic, hot wax melting on a marble palette on a hot plate. The studio was full of fumes and exciting idealogy. Richard Anusckiewicz lived with us at that time. My painting began to wan as children arrived. I had 4 children and began painting portraits of children as they grew, first with pastel. I then went back to study oil portraiture in Detroit with Joseph Maniscaico.

I began taking commissions for portraits in the Grosse Pointe area and followed with teaching private classes at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial in 1960. At that time, The War Memorial had a respected faculty and I was pleased our faculty shows were excellent. I was working with oils and landscapes.

I was noticed and asked to send work to England, and then to show at the Silo in Connecticut. My journey into watercolor began with a study of Sumi painting on silk. It was a challenge and my first solo show included delicate ink painting and my first watercolors of flowers.

I was asked to teach watercolor in 1980 and became known for my large flower paintings. Galleries sold my flowers and I became more impressionist as well as minimalist.

I have had more than 20 solo shows, and have received many honors. I was excited to join a group of 5 in an exhibition at Gallery Bai in Soho, New York City. I married again after Sy's death and with my new husband, Paris DiSanto, began our journeys around the USA. I showed my Sedona series in New York. My Mexico series in Mexico and Royal Oak, Michigan at the Top of Troy Gallery. This gallery carried my work for 10 years and gave me several solo shows.

My work has reached into an exciting use of strong color to emphasize my love of "light", I often get up before dawn on a painting trip to capture the emotion of a sunrise, I am moved by the Glory of God as he begins a new day. Watercolor in it's spontaneity gives me a freedom to use all my resources and experience to reveal the full spectrum of light as it bounces around and on the subject, be it a landscape, seascape of person. The mood of the atmosphere or the time of day is all relevant.

I shall continue to work on series, as I have found a theme extends my excitement in my material. My Remember Mama series was inspired by memories of my grandmother and was a 5 year exercise. It was celebrated at the Women's Hall of Fame in Lansing, Michigan, The Art Center in Mt. Clemens, Michigan and Kettering University in Flint. In Venice, Italy I was discovered painting on the Grand Canal and was asked to show my work. My show was sold out. I am currently working on a series of people in street scenes, I find it intriguing.

An artist must always be reaching for new subjects and techniques. My need to work plein-air continues to teach, whether I am in Italy or on the shore of the Pacific, the Call

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