I’m the artist & blogger behind 33 Cliff Street Studio. My art business is named after the fictional address of my childhood playhouse, 33 Cliff Street. The playhouse was originally made by my not-so-handy parents in 1971. They followed construction plans found in a magazine, and then my mom went crazy decorating it with felt, wallpaper, poster board, and lots of glue. In 2002, I renovated the playhouse for my own children. Throughout its long life, 33 Cliff Street has been home to many hours of joyful creative play.
I create colorful, whimsical mixed media pieces that incorporate vintage, upcycled, and repurposed materials. I enjoy creating one-of-a -kind works including art blocks, collage panels, shadowboxes & assemblages, mixed media paintings, and ornaments (made with two of my favorite perennial mediums, papier-maché and salt clay). Every piece of original art I create incorporates a bit of a vintage book, usually in the form of either cut up book pages or snippets of text. One of my favorite places to get my art supplies is at the swap pile at our town dump. I love taking discarded materials and giving them new life in a piece of art ~ while also keeping items out of the landfill. I’m most inspired by travel, flowers and nature, kids books, vintage ephemera, and the nostalgia of my childhood. My hope is that my art brightens the day of all those who encounter it!
I live on the South Shore of Massachusetts in a seaside town with my young adult twins and our two cats. I also have an older daughter who is always on the move, but I love visiting her wherever she is. When I’m not working on my shop/website/blog, my other jobs include freelance writer, private driver, and occasional at-home preschool teacher.