Proudly representing her Oregon roots here in Portland, Oregon, Ursula graduated in 2010 with a BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art. She then created a series of large paintings inspired by her rainy bike commutes over the many bridges of Portland. This series was the beginning of her fascination with weather, architectural landscapes, and bridges.

In 2011 she founded Jailhouse Studios, a female run creative work space and gallery named after the history of the building, which was erected in 1905 for the Southeast Portland Police. This same year was the beginning of her mural career.

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Finding joy in the physicality of large-scale painting, she began to paint any walls and odd spaces she could find. This inspiration from her environment created an obsession with travel early in Ursula’s career. She lived in South America, traveled all 50 states, visited architecture in Europe and was awarded a mural grant to live in Mexico in 2016. Travel has become and will continue to be the backbone of her process.

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In recent years, Ursula has also grown to work and collaborate with talented local designers, manufacturers and small businesses, expanding her UB product line illustrating urban landscapes and creating accessible and sustainable products. In December 2018, this ongoing collaboration helped Ursula transform Jailhouse Studios into Jailbreak Studios, an art studio, gallery, resource center and storefront promoting locally made unique objects, handmade jewelry, home goods and apparel created by people of color, queer, and female emerging artists. Through Jailbreak Studios, Ursula continues to push freedom of thought and creativity with the collaboration and support of other creatives.

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To learn more about how Ursula started out, check out the article in the 1859 Oregon Magazine from November 1st, 2015.