Itala's image at left is in response to Betty Butler's  (see Art Walk 07 artists) painting.     Her collaborative art process is defined as Responsive Art: a process in which two artists observe and interpret the other's work, and then respond with a new piece of their own.

Itala received a M.A. in Art Therapy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a Master of Liberal Arts from the University of Chicago and a Masters degree in Architecture and Design, Institute of Architecture, Venice, Italy.   She has also studied fine arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the North Shore Art League.