The New England outdoors, travel, and storytelling inspire my art. I work to express the unique light and essence of a place and the spiritual qualities in a person. Painting on location gives energy and spontaneity to a piece. Something fresh evolves from each “plein air” study in pastel, oil or watercolor, and I bring the experience back to the studio to develop larger works.

I’ve loved creating since childhood and eagerly pursued a double major in Visual Studies and French at Dartmouth. A few years after receiving a Master of Architecture from Yale, I took a solo bike trip through Europe. While sketching and photographing inspiring places, I felt as drawn to the way the light hit the landscape and buildings as to the architecture itself.  Soon I opened my own office (essarc.com) and had the flexibility to attend The Vermont Studio Center, DeCordova Museum School, and painting workshops.

Later, after traveling to Greece and Turkey, gathering ideas for The Shepherd's Song book, I moved to Arizona for a decade. From a studio in a historic adobe house with desert views, I completed art and architecture projects while starting a family. In the years since, back in Massachusetts, my art and design work has focused on bringing out the spirit, light, and timeless beauty of our New England environment.

Sales from group and solo exhibits have benefited organizations including The Food Project and Water.org. Picture books include The Unbreakable Code, by Sara Hunter (numerous awards include a Smithsonian Magazine Notable book, an Arizona Governor’s Book of the Year, and an endorsement by the Navajo Code Talkers Association). 

I enjoy sharing the process of making art, a book, or a place we inhabit. I've taught drawing and design at Arizona State University and Principia College and continue to conduct workshops and classes in Maine and Massachusetts.