June’s earliest memories are of a home filled with her mother’s sculptures and watercolors. She was seven years old when her mom died, and the loss changed her life forever. The artwork her mother left behind became a way for the child artist to connect with her mother. June was sent to live with her devoutly religious grandmother, and was raised in a traditional Portuguese household. 

She was fascinated by tales of Grandfather Joao, who drew schooners with pen and turquoise ink on grandmother’s white linen tablecloths. Stories of Great-Aunt Mary who sprinkled a secret mixture of herbs around the outside of her home at midnight to ward off evil spirits, and tales of her mother who saw the future in tea leaves, impressed the young artist.

June’s ancestors from Madeira were known for their creative eccentricities. They would don each other's clothing and put on plays in their home for the local villagers. It's not hard to see why family, art and mysticism played a major part in June’s spiritual and creative growth.

As a child, June knew she was an artist. The first drawing she remembers creating was of her dog. She was nine years old, and used the charcoal from a burnt matchstick on the inside of a matchbook cover. 

June attended Jersey City State College and the School of Visual Arts. Over the years, the artist has evolved from a simple realism to her current work. She creates fantasy paintings of anthropomorphic animals with underlying themes of anti-war sentiment. Much of the artwork is laced with mystic symbolism, evolving from her work as a spiritual medium.