From early childhood, having grown up in the South, I can recall a passion for art that still burns today.
At the age of three, I began sketching pictures from the pages of our family Bible. By the age of five, I'd progressed to sketching the family members themselves. I was told they were good, and as proof, my grandmother proudly displayed them throughout our modest home. As further encouragement, I later received a full scholarship to continue pursuing my art at the prestigious Hampton Institute of Virginia. Unfortunately, my very traditional grandfather didn't believe art was a lucrative career option for black youth, a sentiment shared by many of that time period. Therefore, as grandfather being the final word in any decisions concerning our family, it was firmly concluded that I would forfeit the opportunity.
Upon recovering from this disappointing experience, I later moved north to New Jersey and enrolled at Rutgers University. Having fulfilled the required curriculum and a few electives in art studies, I obtained a Bachelor of Science degree and reluctantly joined the ranks of Corporate America. Yet, not a day went by where I wasn't sketching something. Whether it was a mindless doodle, drawings of family members (this time my very own), or creating newly imagined and later conceived pieces of jewelry, I always kept my creative juices flowing. As I proudly began to share this hidden skill with co-workers, I became more notable as Alyce Faye "The Artist", not the scientist. It was therefore of little surprise to anyone, that now having retired from Corporate America, I'd elect to start my second career in the arts.
