My love for art started with my mom. She had a deep appreciation for creativity, beauty, and making things by hand, and that love naturally passed to me. Art felt normal in our home—something to enjoy, explore, and respect. Long before I understood theory or history, I learned that creating something with care mattered.

In high school, I was drawn to the physical side of making art. I loved the tools, materials, and process—the feeling of building something from nothing. It wasn’t about art history yet. It was about experimenting, working with my hands, and learning through trial and error. Craft came first. Curiosity followed.

College is where ideas began to connect. I started studying art history, philosophy, and the relationship between time and place—how certain moments produced masterpieces that still speak today. I became interested in structure, proportion, and the thinking behind great works. Art shifted from something I loved doing to something I deeply wanted to understand.

Beyond school, my path led me to Florence, Italy, where I studied with brothers Roberto and Rodolfo Guarnieri in their historic Bottega. Working alongside them grounded my practice in tradition, discipline, and respect for process. This experience shaped how I approach art today—rooted in craftsmanship, patience, and a lineage that values making things the right way, by hand.