Andrea grew up in Rochdale, a cotton mill town that sits on the foothills of the Pennines, the “backbone of England.” These moors provided escape from the industrial urban environment. She would spend hours walking out, taking in the fresh air and enjoying a sense of freedom and exhilaration. Andrea’s creative process is inspired by recalling the emotions felt during those walks.
Graduating from Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan, in 1995, with a BA in Art History, Andrea was already planning her future academic studies in Fine Arts. Part of her degree course work required that she take a studio class. Encouraged by her studio professor she entered three drawings into the first student show at the Meadowbrook Gallery. The curator, Kiichi Usui, asked to be introduced to Andrea. He explained that he had taught studio classes in Tokyo for twenty years and that her ability with color was both rare and innate.
In 2002 Andrea received a full merit scholarship to attend the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. She studied at CCS for one year. Her work was included in the juried student show in the spring of 2003.
Andrea is a recipient of the 2009 Athena Art Society Art Award of Toledo, Ohio.
In the spring of 2009, Andrea became a graduate of the Bachelor of Fine Art Program at the University Of Toledo, Ohio. During this highly competitive and rigorous program, Andrea produced a body of work which includes large scale oil and mixed media paintings, some with sculptural elements.
Andrea’s work continues to evolve, producing works in a variety of media and scale that convey the emotions associated with the memory of walks on the moors.