Brightfire Woman was born December 9, 1956, as the last child, third daughter and the first to be born up North. She was raised on a 10 acre farm, which her mother called River Vue Acres, as it set 200 feet above the Mackinaw River and her bedroom window looked out across the entire River bottom, which was rich farmland upon which her father had first found work friends and home, working a large family farm for the owners who had moved on the outskirts of a nearby town.
"It was an idyllic childhood, in that my sisters were 10 and 8 years older and as teens in the 60's they provided enough parental distraction that...an outdoorsy barn loving child could have a good time. Whether traipsing off on wooded solo adventures or walking up the back of my father's heels across vast pastures, it was sunshine, smiles...and spoiling at every farm visited. As a child I raised Hampshire sheep, sold the wool, and took a Reserved Grand Champion. I rode horses and herded cattle, on foot between pastures with my father and read from my mother's bookshelves curled up on the sun porch. My father raised all our food and had a huge garden and traded for what he didn't have enough land to grow in exchange. It was chickens, ducks, rabbits, pigs, goats, cattle, and sheep with a scrawny red haired, freckled faced child in the middle of it all. Apple Orchard and Apricots and a lone collie, never the same but all named Sandy..."
So Northern child Southern raised and a very strong rural background and value system. Those experiences are the foundation of her more heartfelt sentimental works and puts her politically on the side of the family farmer and an independence from consumerism.
"Mackinaw, in those days, was predominantly settled immigrants, Dutch, Irish, English, Swedish and German quite a few with strong accents still, and it was a dry town, no alcohol sold in the city limits, although you could cross the railroad tracks and visit the tavern on route 9...and 5 churches, but the Catholics had to travel to another town for church and Mennonites went to Morton. It was in fact culturally diverse and religiously tolerant. It was a hardworking life of up before daylight to battle with mother nature as the river decided when to flood those soil rich river bottom fields and the snowfall set how long before you could drive out and get supplies in from town. In town, the hot spot was the bench outside the barber shop that had a good view of the post office and Dr. Harm's office and the American Legion Hall. It was a good life and provided me with a solid appreciation for wild life conservation, living off the land and the importance of helping one's neighbor and community."
In her Sophomore year of high school, she went to Paris with her French Class for 10 days and there ignited the spark of desire to study art, that would resulted in her graduating high school in 3 years and spending her Senior year as her Freshman in Illinois State University's Art Dept.
"Ironically enough, I feel the people who contributed the most to my education as an artist and writer, were the sculpture professors I had the privilege of studying with: Barry Tinsley, Nita Sunderland, and Preston Jackson as certainly they provided so much to my understanding of what it means to strive to be a professional artist. Experiencing sculpture has given me a 'hands on' understanding of space's relationship to form, and that has translated to an appreciation for what is not there or is still waiting to be spoken into being. Walking around and seeing things from various perspectives carries over, as does an acknowledgment of what is plausible from a representational point of view. .. that and there is nothing quite like, pouring metal or carving stone to open one up to possibilities one never considered possible."
In 1978, she moved to Peoria, Illinois and has lived in the same house since 1991 and lived in what is called the old Averyville neighborhood since 1981. She is the mother of a daughter and a son, and grandmother of four. She was active, as a poet in the late 70's, publishing in 'literary littles'; in the local art community in the 80's as a photographer; and in the early 90's, as a painter.
January 2008, she began blogging on-line, and since May of 2009, she has been publishing from her own website, Woman's Mojo Risings.
EDUCATION
Bradley University Peoria,IL Art Photography 1981 - 1983 Illinois State University Normal,IL BFA Candidate In Art Photography 1974 - 1987 Illinois Central College East Peoria,IL Associate's Degree 1973 - 1991 Alumni 1983 Dee-Mack High School Mackinaw,IL 1971 - 1974 Alumni 1974
