Camelot Art Studios, our home studio, opened in May of 2005 in Oregon City with the encouragement of friends and family.

Here’s my story:
Drawing and painting have been a part of my life as long as I can remember. For years my favorite birthday or Christmas gifts received were paint-by-number pieces. The summer of my third grade – three of my older siblings and I were able to take a charcoal drawing course with a local teacher in her studio apartment (which was a converted garage). I still remember how she taught us to take simple elements of flowers and try to put them to paper. It was only 4 lessons – but I still remember her patience as a teacher and the joy she found in art.

Through the years I found ways to express myself through different arts – sewing, embroidery, needlepoint, crewel, decoupage, gardening, camping, piano, guitar, dance, calligraphy, quilting – my grandmother even tried to teach me to knit once!

I have had several different careers in my life in between …..Stenographer, military wife overseas, mom, clinical office manager, mom, farmer (cows, horses, greenhouse–loved my Kubota tractor!), orthodontic assistant, teenager’s mom, parts and shipping manager, artist and now, nana! Funny how they are all playing a part in who and what I am today!

In 2001 a good friend invited me to Monday night decorative painting classes. I was hooked! In 2002 while attending the Seattle Regional Conference I had the opportunity to paint & play with DecoArt Traditions paint and mediums. David Jansen spoke during the class about the need for art education and about the plan with DecoArt for the Traditions Education Program.  I wanted to know more!

I have always enjoyed learning the why behind what I do.  Whether it was my first job as secretary to the State Soil Scientist (I was the first non-scientist to go on a soil sample survey) or learn the mechanics of sleep studies or of orthodontics or understand how a crane moves because so many working parts of shafts & bearings, cams and motors!   I love understanding and learning the techniques used in historical paintings and being able to emulate and appreciate all ages of art from the earliest cave paintings or the Byzantine or Dutch or the Renaissance Masters.  There is so much to learn!

When I paint it makes my heart sing and time evaporate.   I enjoy the process of experiencing and seeing chaos become creation. To be able to share this with family, friends, fellow artists and students is a great gift.

Organizations & Memberships:

National Society of Decorative Painting

• Raindrop Chapter SDP, Portland, OR

• Coast to Cascades Chapter SDP, Salem Oregon

Secretary & Historian 2008-2010 – Three Rivers Art Guild, Clackamas County, OR

Member – Decorative Arts Collection Museum, Atlanta, Georgia

Member – Portland Art Museum, Portland Oregon

Education:
Since 2001, I have had the privilege to participate in 5 day seminars with national artists such as Peggy Harris, Sherry Nelson, Judy Diephouse and Mary Jane Todd.  I have also taken extended Composition and Design courses from both David Jansen and Mary Jane Todd.

• Traditions Artist – March 2005, San Jose, Ca
• Traditions Teacher – Modules ABC – June 2005 San Jose, Ca
• Traditions Teacher – Module D – May 2009, San Jose, CA
• Byzantine Drawing Course, Iconographic Art Institute, Portland, OR 2007-2008
• Iconographic Arts Institute Summer Intensive Workshops 2008, 2009, Mt. Angel, Oregon

Other floral history and painting courses taken from David Jansen include Bavarian, Dutch & Italian styles.  Small Furniture styles including English Chippendale, French Regency, Country French, Florentine and Dutch Floral.

Teaching:

I really enjoy travel teaching.  I have had the privilege to work Local SDP Chapters including Coast to Cascades, Salem, Oregon and Tugboat Tolers Chapter of Gig Harbor, Washington.  Please contact me for possible chapter seminars!

Our Studio: I am currently teaching seminars and DecoArt Traditions Series Modules A, B, & C in my home studio. I am available for home school art classes ages 5-18! What fun!