Born and raised in a suburb of Chicago, Kristy spent her summers with family on the dunes and shore of Lake Michigan.
She attended Northwestern University, Lake Forest College and received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Northern Illinois University.

A lifelong  Midwesterner, she has painted, drawn and taught art classes at art centers and at the College  of Lake County.
Her work has been shown and received awards in regional, national and international competitions.
She currently resides on the North Shore with her husband and two cats.