I was born in Chicago and lived there for 38 years as Letitia Kaminski. The city was a rich source of information, I took foundation courses at the Bauhaus-driven Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology, eventually receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees elsewhere in studio weaving and art education. In addition, through the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum, I was trained in scientific illustration. I became a professional archaeological draftsman and eventually had drawings published in a number of international archaeological journals. Whether it is drawing a sherd or plotting the lines of a wall, all this impacted my art work. My archaeological work has taken me all over the world, and everywhere that I go there is inspiration for my art. I have lived and worked in India, Italy, Austria, Poland, with extensive wanderings in Malta, Iceland, Faeroe Islands, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Bolivia, Greece, Turkey, and elsewhere. Other more personal influences have included Naomi Whiting Towner, Jean-Pierre and Yael Larochette, James Koehler, and Michelle Lester.
I started visiting New Mexico nearly 40 years ago for the workshops organized by Mary Woodard Davis. No matter where I went in the world, my center was New Mexico, as I was drawn to return, inspired by the land forms to create pastels and weaving. After coming to New Mexico very nearly every year, I decided that it should become my permanent home.