Over the years, Iva has worked in a variety of mediums and subject matter. These include portraits in pencil, and pastels, nude figure studies, sculpted figures, abstracts in mixed media and her latest art adventure, plein air. She is the daughter of Vina Cross, who was one of the Bakersfield Art Association’s founding members in 1944. Iva is also a fourth generation Kern County resident.
Iva earned a Bachelors degree in art from California State University, Bakersfield, having also studied at Bakersfield College and the Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles. She has also studied ceramics with Vic Bracke of central California and at the Mendocino Art Center. For twenty-five years, Iva taught in the Kern High School District, much of the time teaching ceramics.