Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started photographing when I was 19 on a trip to Israel, capturing the beautiful country and its people. In my 20s I took photo classes, and in 1977 entered photography school full-time in Boston.

My specialty is portraiture and photographing people in human interest situations — different generations, various ethnicities, and embracing diversity.

I have produced 2 photographic book projects, POSITIVELY NINETY: Interviews with Lively Nonagenarians, and OUR FAMILIES: A Celebration of Adoption.

Along the way, I have had various professional sidelines, including doing pet photography and what I called “Quick Portraits,” short portraiture sessions for clients to use the ensuing photos in social media and for author portraits, etc. I also have done photo organizing for clients with large collections.

In addition I worked for a community magazine for over a decade, writing feature stories and providing photography. My photos have been exhibited and published.

Fourteen years ago I took a watercolor class and have been painting ever since. My themes mirror what I like to photograph. I have been in numerous art shows and have had some watercolors published in publications and sold to collectors.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Fourteen years ago I joined an artists’ group, the Art Circle, with 13 other members. The studio is located in the Essex Studios, a vibrant artists’ building of 100 creatives. Three times a year the studio building holds ArtWalks, inviting the public to explore the work in the building and meet the artists. For many years I was part of the Marketing Committee for the building and used social and traditional media to promote other artists and myself.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Producing a meaningful photography shot or completing a well-executed painting are the rewarding aspects of being an artist. I enter calls for art and when I am selected, I am highly gratified. Just recently one of my photos was selected along with a few dozen other art pieces out of 16,000 entries to display artwork in Sarasota FL early next year. The project, called Embracing Our Differences, focuses on artwork that shows connections among people from all walks of life, all ethnicities, and all backgrounds.