I began painting houses professionally in 2005 after painting for friends and family for many years. I've worked in all kinds of houses - from extravagant shorline summer homes to the very littlest "cottages" - and have had the good fortune to meet with a wide variety of clients, and to work with some wonderful painting mentors. I enjoy learning about new products as they come on the market, but am also interested in the techniques and tricks of historical restoration and preservation.  

I believe that good painting comes from good technique. Sure, anyone can put paint on a wall, but making it look good - and doing it quickly - is all in knowing the right products to use in each situation, and how to put them on appropriately and consistently.

I'm a small project specialist: I enjoy the challenge finding solutions to the painting problems most painters don't even want to look at (especially in older buildings), and I have both the experience and inclination to work with clients who have particular needs such as addressing chemical sensitivities.

So why "The Painter Chick"? Well, I think that good design doesn't have to be stuffy. The collaborative creativity of choosing great colors and planning out a project is essential. But, when you get right down to it, painting is a lot of climbing up and down ladders, hours wearing a respirator while sanding, and just generally getting on with getting the job done. I'm a woman in the trades, and like being able to combine both craftsmanship and design into my work.

 I'm also a musician and music researcher working on the intersection between Jewish Klezmer music and its roots in Bessarabian Moldova. I play and perform this music on the accordion, and also enjoy playing old time Appalachian music on fiddles and banjos with friends around town.

I lived in Budapest, Hungary for many years and was a Fulbright Scholar in Romania. Of course, when I travel back to my old haunts in the Carpathians I'm always stopping the car to take pictures of the brightly colored houses. If you are ever in doubt that you're making a too-extravagant color choice, check out my gallery of Romanian exterior house colors! (coming soon).