Born in Chicago, Desiree began exploring the arts in early childhood through drawing, dancing and singing.  She studied jewelry making, painting, drawing and photography in her teens and received a scholarship to a Canadian wilderness studies program designed by the award winning nature photographer and environmental activist Charles Erickson.

Through this experience of living in harmony with the beauty and power of nature, the understanding that creativity is an expression by which we are in direct relationship with the supernatural world transformed her life. Inspired by people who honored and communicated with plants, animals and the Spirit of the land, she fulfilled a long held dream by designing and building a self-sufficient homestead in the early 70’s, in an artist’s community on Lake Superior in Northern Wisconsin.

Inspired by this love of beauty and the natural wonders of the world, she began traveling to explore the spiritual practices of yoga masters and native shamans while working professionally as a graphic designer for 15 years. While studying film making she earned a self-designed double BA in Psychology & Communication Arts from Columbia College Chicago in 2000.  It was here she began to merge her spiritual studies with her joy for art and beauty.

The idea of interdependency continued to guide her life path as she explored alternative healing modalities, studied with anthropologists and trained with native shamans around the globe. She owned and operated a holistic healing practice in Chicago integrating shamanism, yoga, bodywork and health program design for over 25 years.

For the last 10 years Desiree has been focusing on art as a transformational tool through acrylics, mixed-media, collage and fabric design in Berkeley, CA. Currently she is working with encaustics, cold wax and oils and resides in Asheville, NC. ∞