I grew up on a farm in Northern Germany, the first-born of three children. My mother often recounted how she wished that this child she was expecting would be an artist. No wonder then that any early sign of artistic talent was very much encouraged. I was given private lessons by local artists in painting, drawing and sculpture.

It was my hope and intention to enter an apprenticeship in pottery with a well-known local artist. During our interview he told me that he could tell I had the necessary talent to become a good potter but he would not offer me the apprenticeship because I was a female and he felt it was inadvisable for a female to sit with her feet in water when turning the wheel since it might damage her "internal organs." Instead I studied secretarial skills.

After marriage, having moved to England and working as secretary/translator for several years, a dream came true. I was able to attend one of the most famous art schools in London, St. Martin's School of Art, where I studied all the disciplines of sculpture, modeling, casting, metal work, carving in stone and wood. I have worked in many different materials but wood and stone have become my favorite media.

When my husband and I moved to Connecticut, I continued carving as well as studying academic painting at the Paier School of Art. One winter's day I read in a local paper "how to carve apple head dolls". The Granny Smith apples I had purchased earlier to make apple sauce were carved, had cloves inserted for eyes, were pickled in a solution of water, vinegar and salt and set on the mantelpiece to dry. The apples became so shriveled that they all looked like dwarfs. They had been over-pickled. I had seven dwarfs and needed a Snow White. The Snow White was carved from bass wood, all figures were painted and costumed. I did not know it at the time but this was the beginning of my doll career.

Since 1991 my work has been shown at the New York International Toy Fair with Thomas Boland as my representative. I have exhibited at one-of-a-kind shows in New York, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Toledo as well as in Austria and Belgium. In 1993 I was commissioned to create four fairytale scenes for the Tiffany Windows in Boston and in 1999 I was commissioned by Columbia Pictures to carve an 18th century Queen Anne doll for the movie "The Patriot" with actor Mel Gibson in the lead. My work has been featured in many leading doll magazines, articles in the New York Times as well as two books, Volume One and Two of "The World's Most Beautiful Dolls," published by Portfolio Press.

During the past four years I have ventured into the world of miniatures. An exciting challenge, another world and another direction. Both my large as well as my miniature dolls are hand-carved, one-of-a-kind and costumed in the finest vintage materials. I pride myself that every step in the creation of my dolls is carried out by me.