Three days after I obtained my MFA in France in 2000, I moved to CA. My new-age roommate convinced me that after getting an intensive massage therapist training, I could make a lot of money. Wanting to be able to support my art practice without having to work a lot, I did the training and became a massage therapist for 2 years.

I was very good and very popular, and yes, i do think it relates to my sculpture practice. The hands have memory and knowledge that surpass the brain. I also taught art in after-school programs. Then, tired of the Bay Area, I was a teacher in China for a year. I taught English and French. My work in China was very documentary based, and some of it was direct interviews with my teenage students. Back from China, I realized that I would never live off my art and I should find a day-job that I love.

My art had been botanical, critical of environmentally unfriendly behaviors. I carried the heavy guilt of making objects out of un-biodegradable materials. Having wanted to learn about the relation between art and the landscape, I read an incredible French book from Barridon called 'Les Jardins', a history of gardens through litterature. I always loved contemporary gardens so I enrolled in Landscape Horticulture Design school, where I've been full time for 3 years. I practice landscape design, I draft for designers, design and garden. I love having to think of plant material, know the names and requirements of all the plants that surround us, to always learn about more plants. I love that my designs, unlike my installations, are going to be lived in and make people happy (fragrances, colors...). I love that by being mindful of the materials I use (organics, natives) I have more political integrity. I'm now taking a break from my art practice. I want to design more. I love that people ask me for designs and I don't have to submit 20 slides to do one.