Gretchen was born and raised in Chicago Illinois. Early creative insight came from her father who was a sign painter, sign muralist by trade who climbed some of the tallest building in Chicago to paint sign fronts and used the walls of their home like a canvas to paint unusual and ever changing creations of self expression.

Gretchen's inspiration comes from those early memories of her father's work but also from the study of the work of artists such as Mark Rothko, Robert Motherwell, Antoni Tapies and the artist Anton Weiss who also was her teacher.

Although she studied art,photography and philosophy in a university, she credits individual study with Anton Weiss while she lived in Nashville TN, for breaking all boundaries of self expression and self knowledge of what her own art might become and continues to be.

Today Gretchen lives, works and pursues her art in New York City.