YVONNE APODACA has been sewing since age 12. She was a prize winning sewer in sewing competitions in her teen years. After graduating from NYU she had a successful career in the entertainment industry and worked for MTV as well as News Corporation (Fox) before starting a family and settling back down in her home town of San Diego. In San Diego, Yvonne started and co-owned her own successful baby line, Little Marie's and also started a non-profit awareness group, Mission for Music, whose goal was to keep music alive and well in San Diego city schools. Today, she is co-owner of Home ec. Studio where she enjoys sharing her sewing knowledge and creating fun projects for "seamsters" of all ages. Yvonne also works at Sara Elizabeth Skincare as an esthetician under her company, Wax and Glow.
BEA BARABAS has enjoyed art in all its forms for most of her life. She has a degree in Elementary Education, but has shifted her main focus to making art. She has taken numerable classes and workshops across the country, making creativity a constant in her life. Bea’s explorations in art have included weaving, paper fabrication, silk painting, jewelry design, mosaic and any combination of the above. Currently, she focuses on creating new ways to showcase memories; using collage and mosaic techniques. Bea exhibits her jewelry and artwork at The Grove in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego.
LISA BOLENDER is a Certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity coach, Renegade Muse, and SoulCollage® Facilitator. She is a lifelong creative explorer, with interests in music, dance, paper arts, jewelry and writing. She also creatively parents her two awesome children, confounds her husband by asking him strange questions, attempts to herd her two cats (usually unsuccessfully, but with much hilarity), and is always inspired by the unflagging joy of Cleo the dog. www.creativitysoaring.com
DENISE BONAIMO creates jewelry from a vast array of materials from precious metals and gemstones to re-purposed found objects, such as vintage board games and antique metal. This Brooklyn girl, by way of the Jersey shore, participates in several art gallery exhibitions each year and is active in promoting the thriving San Diego art scene. With a strong aspiration to share her knowledge of jewelry making with others, Denise offers year round jewelry classes and workshops for adults, children and seniors in the comfort of your own home and at a variety of art schools in and around San Diego County. Visit her website at www.bonaimo.com
SALLIE BROWN earned an Associate degree in ART from San Diego State University. She also has a California education / teaching degree. During her 11 years of private and public school teaching, she has taught many art classes throughout San Diego’s city and county school districts. Sallie loves playing music and traveling and believes there is nothing better than enjoying family and friends. She is a member of the Alpine Chamber of Commerce where she serves as chairwoman for the Ambassador group. She is also a sales director for Mary Kay Cosmetics and loves ‘changing the faces of people’s future’ with MK products. Sallie is married to the man of her dreams.
PEGGY LEE CABALLERO learned metal smithing, in her early years, from the Navajo and Hopi Indians in Colorado, which evolved into owning a jewelry store. She designed and fabricated beautiful pieces of gold and silver which later transformed into a graduate gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America. Her love of color and geometric shapes surfaced and bloomed in the textile industry. Creation of art quilts and textile design combined with professional long-arm machine quilting gives her pieces a stunning and remarkable quality. Peggy’s award winning quilts have been featured on Simply Quilts on HGTV and in numerous shows and exhibits. Many commissioned works are privately owned throughout North America, Mexico and Europe. Music, an ever constant passion, Peggy currently studies classical, traditional flamenco guitar with Maestro Corriente of Spain. Peggy has also studied and performed professionally on cello, vocals, flute, piano and electric bass guitar. Equestrian sport is also part of Peggy’s life. She owns 2 purebred Arabian horses and rode with the Chula Vista Mounted Police from 1993 - 1999. www.zhibit.org/quiltarte
PAMELA CALORE'S work took her to various places and introduced her to cultures, unique and different from her own. Gallery exposure in Laguna Beach led to several large scale commissioned projects for both corporate and private collectors. Through paintings and photography, Pamela’s mission is to find and capture the essence of a place; the people, the landscape and architecture that molds and defines the society that lives there today. She is a San Diego resident who earned a BFA from the Laguna Beach College of Art and Design, studied at Monseratt School of Visual Art, north of Boston and at Otis Parson in Los Angeles. Her work has been exhibited at Jadite Gallery, New York City, De Havilland Fine Art, Boston, MA, and Golden Pacific Fine Arts, San Diego, with solo exhibits at the American Labor Museum, NJ and The New Bedford Museum of Fine Arts, MA.
REED CARDWELL received his BFA from Cal State University, Long Beach with further studies at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Reed also studied drawing and painting with Los Angeles artist Harold Kramer and later studied painting with Nathan Oliveira in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Reed worked as an animation artist for Walt Disney Feature Animation. His work is exhibited locally and nationally and is part of many private collections. Reed has taught at the Athenaeum School of the Arts, at UCSD Extension and at the Art Academy of San Diego. www.reedcardwell.com
Milliner JILL COURTEMANCHE lives and works in sunny San Diego, California. She graduated from New York City's prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology in the mid-90’s and after a decade of working alongside master artisans in New York and Europe, she opened her namesake atelier in 2006. Jill brings a young, feminine and contemporary approach to her hats while incorporating traditional techniques and craftsmanship. All of her pieces are created using vintage materials, trims and embellishments combined with modern fabrics, and many styles are produced in limited exclusive quantities. From fascinators to fedoras, Jill Courtemanche’s hats have topped Yoko Ono, Donatella Versace, Princess Mary of Denmark, and football legend José Fouré. She also teaches popular hat-making courses, for both beginner and more advanced students, which are attended by millinery enthusiasts from around the world. Jill Courtemanche Millinery accommodates a variety of client needs, from hats for social events, horse races, religious services and nights on the town, to custom bridal pieces and a modern men’s collection. www.jillcourtemanche.com
MARY-ANN COURTENAYE is the daughter of a career U.S. diplomat, and developed a zest for arts and color at an early age. Living in Japan, Morocco, Mexico, Canada, and Spain created a deep appreciation for fine craftsmanship. When she discovered the delights of incorporating exotic beads with sophisticated wire-wrapping jewelry techniques, "it was gasoline for my creative spark!". After many years of crafting jewelry for special gifts, Mary-Ann now enjoys teaching jewelry-making techniques. Her designs reflect her reverence for fine craftsmanship ("such a wonderful antidote to our overly accelerated and computerized society"). Her work is distinguished by playful yet thoughtful color choices, incorporation of kinetic elements to create movement, and an overall design sensibility aimed at "feeding the eyes and the spirit."
KAREN CUNAGIN teaches color and design in the fiber arts for the San Diego Community College District at the West City Campus in Point Loma. The themes in her art revolve around the intimate world of family, the garden and spiritual work. Though most of her textile compositions are machine sewn, she spends hours hand finishing many pieces with stitch, sequins, yo-yos... There may be painting, printing and other surface design as well. Karen’s work has been shown in Visions: The Art Quilt 2006, regional juried shows and international publications. In 2010 she completed four giant fruits/cloth sculptures (each 5 feet in diameter) that are permanently exhibited in the award-winning Fallbrook Library. Karen was nominated for the teacher of the year award 2011 by The Professional Quilters magazine. She serves on the board of the Visions Art Museum in San Diego. Presenting inspiring lectures, workshops and trunk shows for quilt guilds, museums and festival groups, Karen challenges her fellow fiber artists to take little risks in making beautiful work that can lead to important life decisions. karencunagin.com
SHANTI CURTO was born with a passion for noticing the quiet details around her. Early in life she found art as a perfect language for expression. Once she took her first Life Drawing class Shanti was ignited with a love of figure study and at age 20 she began exhibiting and selling her artwork. When she married her soul mate and became a mother of two lovely boys, she was inspired to teach art to children and, over the past 5 years, has developed and taught her own curriculum to 6 - 11 year old artists. She loves coming up with new art lessons and ways to inspire young hands to create while teaching technique, terminology and introducing students to the artists of today.
JEAN DEGENFELDER of Jean’s Handwovens holds a Bachelor of Arts in Clothing and Textiles from San Diego State University and began weaving in 1994. She has continued her training at fiber workshops, seminars and conferences in the United States and in Europe and Asia. She shares her passion for fibers in classrooms throughout San Diego County, and during the summer, operates a summer school for young artists at her studio, which is housed in a yurt at her family compound in northern San Diego County. For weaver and designer Jean Degenfelder, it all begins with color. Her one-of-a-kind jackets, shawls, bags, capes and specialty garments are infused with hues that can be rich, bright, and vibrant, or more subtle and muted in nature. Jean blends cottons, rayon chenille and silk in her work, and is now incorporating Tencel™ which has a silk-like quality and creates a soft cloth that drapes easily. Once Jean has created the cloth, its size and texture helps determine which garments she will create.
Jean's work has been shown at Contemporary Craft Market, Santa Monica and San Francisco; American Art Festivals, San Jose, San Diego, and Santa Monica; Festival of Arts, Tempe, Arizona; and Great Arts and Crafts Festival, Las Vegas, among other venues. Her work is available at Weaving Southwest, Taos, New Mexico; The Weaving Center, New Hampshire, and on the internet through her website at www.jeanshandwovens.com
SONYA DEVINE is an artist who works in painting, sculpture, print making, and mixed media. She has developed tile mosaic and painted mural projects at schools. Her paintings can be found in San Diego restaurants, law firms, day spas, resorts, retirement communities, and many private residences. Since moving to San Diego in 1993, Sonya has participated in ArtWalk, gallery exhibitions, and has even painted a North Park utility box. Having children began a love of children’s art, so in 1992 Ms. Devine turned to teaching art in San Diego City Schools. Sonya claims that art is something that can be part of everyday life, not an escape. She loves to come up with new possibilities and solutions, looking at what is familiar and seeing it anew. In doing art, we get to experience imagination. Plus, it’s very fun.
LAUREN BECKER DOWNEY holds a BFA in Weaving and Textile Design from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. She also studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Utah. For many years, she exhibited woven tapestries and painted fabrics of abstract, nonrepresentational imagery. Lauren now uses Mosaics and Painted Furniture as the medium for her expression. As one of the Founder’s of Bravo School of Art, the Director of Workshops at the Art Academy of San Diego, and the former owner of Bravo Gallery and Bravo Workshop, Lauren has been involved in San Diego’s arts community since 1990. She has been teaching art and fine crafts to adults throughout San Diego County since 1992.
CHRISTIE DUNNING creates in a variety of media and techniques including fabric, paper, and hand-woven wire. After earning an AA in Business Administration from San Diego Mesa College and some informative but uninspiring years in the corporate world, she left it for the structure and predictability of an artist’s life. That quest led to an AB in Art Education and an MFA in Studio Art/Fiber/Textile Techniques in Metal from San Diego State University. Her artwork and jewelry creations have been published in numerous books, including 50 Years at Haystack…, International Textile Design and Fiber Arts Design Book Five. Magazines featuring her unique work include American Craft, Surface Design Journal, Handwoven, and Shuttle, Spindle and Dyepot. In addition to her studio work, Christie mentors future artists, interior and fashion designers by teaching workshops in weaving, surface design on fabric, and textile science.
ROSELLE ELLISON is a partner/owner of Home Ec. Studio, a local sewing school in the hip and historic South Park neighborhood of San Diego. She learned how to sew from her mother at the age of 7. She started out sewing the hems of old sheets that her mother would meticulously seam rip so that she can practice her 5/8" seam allowance. By her teen years, Roselle was sewing her own clothes from patterns and also sewing clothes for best friends. One of her friends even trusted her to sew a prom dress (a velvet nightmare with boning, nonetheless). And although her dreams of going to fashion school were thwarted by her wonderful Tiger Mom, she continued to sew while pursuing her degree in Chemical Engineering. After a glamorous career in biotech, she started a family and became a stay-at-home-mom. The hands could not stop creating and Roselle started La Bęte Handmade making custom heirloom plush toys for children (and adults) made with luxury yarns like organic cotton, angora, cashmere and then to vintage and recycled fabric. In addition to her work at Home Ec Studio, she is active at her children's school and enjoys (sometimes) doing community service.
GINI EMBREE was a music major in college. Her journey of discovery led her, with passion and inspiration, to floral design. In the 1980's, she owned a floral design studio focusing on weddings and special events in the Los Angeles area. Here in San Diego, she worked with Kathy Wright & Co. as a floral production manager, and for over 17 years as a floral designer for the prestigious Adelaide's Flowers of La Jolla. Her floral work is distinguished by her passion for organic elements found and repurposed, her technical expertise, her delicate touch in composition as well as her study of European and Asian design. She has studied with floral masters Gregor Lersch and Tomas de Bruyne. Gini's floral designs have been published in San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles Magazine, Decor & Style, San Diego Style Weddings, Ceremony, Flowers&, and her floral art works have been selected for publication in the highly acclaimed International Floral Art books published biannually in Belgium. Gini believes inspired design comes from continually learning, continually experimenting with new elements and techniques, and embracing the unknown possibilities.
PATTI FOX is a fine artist with a passion for the creative process. Her formal training as a geneticist has fostered her sense of curiosity and appreciation for the natural world and the human element. Through her own images and through her work with students, she explores the boundaries of content and of media. Nothing is sacred and everything is up for discussion, dissection and illumination. The bold, provocative use of color, form and line reflect the intensity of commitment Patti has to her role as an artist. Patti is equally as dedicated to being an arts educator as well, working with students of all ages. She has enthusiastically participated in the development of many successful art programs including Torrey Pines High School’s For Arts Sake, Canyon Crest Academy’s Envision and ArtWalk’s ArtReach, contributing to curriculum development, program coordination, facilitation as well as fund raising. With gallery shows at Sumner & Dene, Trios Gallery and La D’Ercole, Patti maintains a healthy balance between her private work as a visual artist and her more public role as an arts educator and innovator. Currently, she is embarking on a new chapter in her professional career, collaborating with several visionaries to offer the visual and performing arts component to a new venture, “The Olympic Village.”
ANNE GAFFEY has been creating decorative functional art for commercial and residential clients since 1989. In 2005, Anne participated in The Whale Trail creating a whimsical whale for Niantic Main Street. Anne’s paintings, decorative furniture, lamps, mosaic tables and floor cloths have been prominently displayed in ASID Designer Showcase Homes, Williams-Sonoma, Loew’s Coronado Bay Resort and the Mary Birch Hospital for Women in San Diego. Anne’s art has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, San Diego Home & Gardens, San Diego Décor & Style, the San Diego Union Tribune Homescape section and The Lyme Times. She has donated her work to many non-profit organizations including The Children’s Museum Fairy Tale Ball, Alliance for Living, East Lyme Youth Services, Lyme Academy of Fine Art, Niantic Main Street, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Design With A Purpose in Rancho Santa Fe, and the San Diego Children’s Museum. Originally from California, Anne lives in southeastern Connecticut with her husband and two children and their golden retriever Marley.
HELEN SHAFER GARCIA is a painter, mixed media, found object and assemblage artist and award winning illustrator. Her whimsical style shows a love for living creatively with a studio filled to the brim with found objects! She’s currently working with watercolor, pastel and mixed media creating contemporary images on paper along with a series of Icon folklore triptychs with wood, watermedia and found object construction. Helen’s watercolor illustrations have graced the cover brochures, garden articles and advertisements of numerous International resorts and magazines. Awards include four San Diego Press Club First Place Awards of Excellence in Illustration for San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles Magazine. Helen holds a BA degree in Fine Arts and currently teaches college level watercolor and acrylic painting. www.helenshafergarcia.com www.agavelatte.blogspot.com
RISA GETTLER combines her career in Graphic Design with her lifelong study of Letter Arts. She has studied calligraphy in America, Italy and Spain. Risa has been a guest on radio and television discussing the joys of creating and teaching Calligraphy. Her calligraphy artwork is in juried exhibits from coast to coast and featured in international art publications. www.risagettler.com
JILL HALL is a creativity consultant, artist and writer. She facilitates groups and teaches workshops for aspiring and practicing artists of all types. Her career as a public school educator spanned over twenty years incorporating her interests in the arts along the way. She has been an arts magnet resource teacher as well as on staff with the California Arts Project. Many of her mixed media mosaics can be found in private homes. Stage performances have ranged from Macbeth to Music Man. She has also completed her first novel and started a second one. Jill is Past President of San Diego Writers, Ink, has served on Eveoke Dance Theatre’s Board of Directors and is currently co-chair of the San Diego Foundation’s Arts and Culture Working Group. She holds an Ed.D. from Northern Arizona University and a masters from the University of San Diego. www.jillghall.com
WENDY HAMMARSTROM has a BFA in Dance from Temple University, and was an art student at Philadelphia College of Art and Philadelphia Community College. Her dance company received a National Endowment for the Arts grant as part of the East Coast Interarts Collective, for which she created a mandala floor plan. She also received a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts grant, and a Pennsylvania Humanities Council grant for a Delaware Indian inspired performance (another time a circle was the basis of the choreography). Wendy has taught classes in mandala making at Innerworks, her massage and yoga center in Murrieta, for her daughter's 2nd grade class, and at First Night in Escondido. Massage, yoga, dance and mandala creating are all means of achieving balance and centering, and healing. Her book, Circles of Healing; The Complete Guide to Healing with Massage and Yoga for Caregivers, Practitioners, Students and Clients has recently been published. WendysWellnessWorld.Wordpress.com
LAURA HANSEN is an artist and Expressive Arts facilitator. She offers SoulCollage® workshops, Intuitive Painting workshops, International Creativity and Yoga Retreats, and other Expressive and Healing Arts classes and services. She is especially interested in the intersection of art and spirituality and creating environments where people can learn to listen to and trust their intuition, inner knowing, and rediscover how nourishing it is to engage in creativity as play. As the former owner and director of a leading eldercare company, Laura knows from personal experience the importance of work/life balance and finding ways to nourish our inner lives in the midst of demanding outer lives. Her background includes a Masters in Clinical Social Work, a degree in Studio Arts, 15 years of yoga and Vipassana meditation practice, and graduate studies in Expressive Arts. Laura is a Master Facilitator of The Intuitive Painting Process and a Registered SoulCollage® Facilitator. www.artandsoul.us.com
MISTY HAWKINS completed her Bachelor's degree in painting at San Diego State University and her Master's degree in Drawing and Painting at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. The focus of her work is mainly figurative, making drawings and paintings of the body to express various states of human experience. She also makes portraits that capture the likeness, feeling and character of an individual. Oil paint, charcoal, and pastel are Misty’s favorite mediums. Her portraits and figurative paintings are in the private collections of people who feel a personal connection with her artwork. Misty also enjoys teaching for the San Diego Community College District and the San Diego Art Department. mistyhawkinsart.net
VALERIE SAMUEL HENDERSON was originally trained as a painter and printmaker and received a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. She completed an MFA in Visual Art at University of California at San Diego where she worked in both mixed-media and multi-media. Her graduate show, entitled “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Alligators . . .” included work in collage, photography, installation and film. She has worked as an art instructor for the San Diego Community College District as well as Palomar College in San Marcos. As an artist-in-residence, Valerie presented classroom workshops for elementary school students. Her most current artwork melds expressive drawing with digital photography.
MARTI HESS has been creating all her life, sharing her innate inspired gift with the world through painting, sewing, gardening, flower arranging, and decorating. As a life coach focused on transforming other’s lives through the creative process, Marti facilitates workshops and retreats in San Diego and on the island of Maui. Her goal is to help everyone discover and reclaim their own unique gifts. www.envisionista.com
SHARON HINCKLEY is originally from the Washington, DC area and is a graduate of Stanford University. She has traveled the world painting & teaching “on location” wherever she goes. In the manner of the Impressionists and “Plein-Aire” painters, her work is done from life. Sharon now lives in La Jolla, CA with her husband and “fur people”. For eight years, she was a featured Artist with the La Jolla Historical Society’s Secret Garden Tour. An award winning Artist, she has had numerous one-woman shows and her work is represented in many private and corporate collections including Bank of America, San Diego Children’s Hospital and the Taipei National Museum of History. Sharon is the author of North Light Books’ Watercolor Basics: Painting Flowers, and a contributor to The Big Fat Book of Watercolor Basics. She always prefers to work from life. Her “plein-air” style of painting reflects her love of Light and Color. Her vivid watercolors reflect the beauty in our world. In addition to her love of art, Sharon is also a registered and Certified Hatha Yoga Instructor as well as a Dahn Energy Instructor; teaching at the YMCA Firehouse and the JCC, both in La Jolla. Visit Sharon’s website at lajollaart.com
PATRICIA HYMAN has been drawing and painting since a child. So it was only natural that she ended up with a degree in the Arts. In the 1980‘s, she earned a BFA in Graphic Design and Instructional Art Ed from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. Patricia has been working in the arts ever since. Her first job as a high school art teacher lasted until she moved to San Diego in 2001. Then, she landed a job at a local hospital where she formed an art class for cancer survivors and their families. The cancer department also used her talent for many of their graphic needs for nearly 7 years. Since 2007, Patricia has worked exclusively in the fine arts. Her preferred medium is pastel and watercolors.
NANCY ISBELL has been a full time artist since 1972. After graduating from Humboldt State University, with honors and a bachelor's degree in art, she began a career in art at Sea World as an illustrator and graphic artist designing gifts and souvenirs. In 1974 she traveled to the Virgin Islands where she worked at an advertising agency as a graphic artist and illustrator. In 1976, after completing a teacher credential for teaching art, instead of teaching she began painting large works on restaurant walls, traveling all over the United States.Since 1980 Nancy has been providing artistic services to clients: Murals, Trompe' l Oeil, Faux Finishes, Carousel Restoration, Signage, Illustration, Watercolors, Oils. The work ranges from canvas paintings, to large murals. Nancy has traveled extensively to restaurants and homes around the country, decorating walls with her own style of scenery and trompe l’ oeil.Nancy's favorite challenge is to create a mood through the use of her own imagined idyllic settings. Some of the tangible results are in the form of murals, found in private residences, schools and businesses. In addition to producing artwork, she has been teaching seminars and classes in art techniques to adults and children in private lessons, summer camps, and in the public schools.Trained by the San Diego Unified School District in ways to implement the CA Visual Arts Standards, Nancy has been presenting visual art lessons to elementary teachers as part of a teacher training program since 2003. www.nancyisbellarts.com
CAROL LANG is the Director of the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe Gallery in Vista and was charter president of the Misti Washington Gourd & Basket Guild. She has been collecting and researching the art of basketry since the early 1970’s, and has won awards at the Association of Michigan Basketmakers, California Gourd Society, and the Del Mar Fair. Her work is in collections throughout the United States and in Australia.
LOVEJOY has been pursuing creative endeavors her entire life. As a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, she has made her living with her art and loves to help inspire others to find their own creativity. As a freelance artist, Lovejoy has explored many mediums, as well as many places all over the globe. She is very grateful to be creative everyday, and enjoys keeping life simple and fun. In her impressionistic paintings, Lovejoy’s personal style is very bold and colorful. Since 2003, Lovejoy has been exploring the Southwest, living 9 years in Sedona, AZ and Santa Fe, NM before her recent arrival in beautiful San Diego. Feel free to view her artwork at www.lovejoycreations.com and www.Sedonamural.com
TARA MAGBOO has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design where she discovered her love of jewelry fabrication. She continued to pursue higher education at San Diego State University for a Master of Fine Arts degree in Jewelry and Metalsmithing. The interdisciplinary approach of her formal education broadened her technical abilities in a variety of materials beyond metal, such as acrylic plastic, wood, resin and alabaster. In addition, her practical experience working in the fashion jewelry industry, as well as exhibiting her own work professionally, has brought her abilities full circle, enabling her to become a more well-rounded instructor. Tara taught beginning through advanced jewelry making courses at the UCSD Crafts Center for almost five years. She is also the sole proprietor of her own jewelry business “Magboo Jewelry Company” and sells her work at various retail shows such as Comic-Con International. www.magboojewelry.com
LISA SLOVIS MANDEL is a nationally recognized metalsmith, jeweler, and teacher. She has exhibited in galleries, museums, and at shows across the country, received a SNAG Educational Endowment Grant, and several Niche Awards. She also published her first book "Pewter Studio" in 2010. She presently resides in San Diego, California with her husband David and their boys, Jacob and Gideon. Lisa teaches Metalsmithing and Design at a local Community College along with teaching workshops at various locations. She received her BFA at the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1995 and her MFA at San Diego State University in 1998. www.lisaslovis.com
ALENA MARIE has been a practicing Artist, Art Therapist and Licensed Marriage, Family Therapist for 30 years. She is a 1982 graduate in Art Therapy from College of Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont, CA. Her passion is Worship Painting, and to inspire others to explore, express and create meaningful pieces of art! As the founding director of the Expressive Arts Studio and Counseling Center of Redding, CA since 1994, Alena Marie has had the joy of providing classes, workshops, and counseling. She is currently working with families in San Diego, as a consultant. In her free time, she has had the rich opportunity to experience the San Diego arts community.
ORNA McCANN is an artist specializing in painting, drawing, illustration, design and photography. She has 20 years of teaching experience as an art teacher and lecturer for all grade levels from preschool to university. Orna received her BA in Studio Art from Clark University, Worcester, MA. Her still life photographs are in the collection of the Bibliotheque Nationale de France. ornadecorativeart.com
BHAVNA MEHTA left the corporate world in 2008 to become a full-time artist. She draws constantly, and also paints and collages, always trying to push herself further into exploring the natural world, her surroundings, family and memories. She is the education co-coordinator for San Diego Book Arts and also teaches children and adults privately in her studio, giving her students the skills needed to take a project from start to finish. Visit Bhavna's websites at www.hansaarts.com and www.bhavnamehta.com
GILLIAN MOSS was born, brought up and studied in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She earned her MA in Design from Glasgow Art School in Glasgow, Scotland where she lived and worked until the man of her dreams whisked her away to Dublin, Ireland. They moved to San Diego in 2001 with two children who are now teenagers, and have loved every minute. Gillian loves to make things and generally be creative. Taking classes outside of her main interest of quilting is an indulgent pleasure. She enjoys meeting new people especially creative folks, finding out what makes them tick and talking about their art work, influences and the creative process. www.mossartquilts.com
THIA NEVIUS grew up in Studio City, California. After receiving an MFA from Colorado State University she painted sets for the Santa Fe Opera and taught art at Santa Fe Community College. Since moving to San Diego she has taught art for many years including The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, UCSD Extension, The Art Department, ARTS: A Reason to Survive, and the Athenaeum. Thia has traveled extensively in Asia, Europe and South America including living in the Philippines for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Her work has been featured in numerous group and solo exhibitions where she has won Awards of Excellence and Best of Show. Among the publications that have featured her work include Art and the Creative Process, UCSD press, and Davis Publications, books for art educations, in The Davis Visuals, volume on Light, Worcester, Mass. She is an active member of the San Diego art community and her work has hung regularly at the San Diego Art Institute and the San Diego Art Department. Her work can be seen in important private and corporate collections including McDonald’s Corporate Offices in Japan, the Hilton Hotel Collection in California and the Permanent Collection at Colorado State University. www.ThiaArtist.com
SHARON NOVAK has been an artist and metalsmith for over thirty years. She earned an MFA from SDSU, a BFA from the State University of New York at New Paltz, and an Associate of Arts from San Diego Mesa College. Inspired by nature’s palette of colors and texture, Sharon thinks like a painter when working with metal. Her mixed-media assemblages juxtapose archetypal symbols in metal with paint, collage, and found elements. Sharon’s artwork includes sculpture, masks, metal collage, drawings, jewelry and ornaments. She’s been teaching art throughout San Diego since 1989 and has exhibited in the US, Europe and Japan.
DIANE REITER is an experienced teacher, calligrapher and bookbinder who combines her love of teaching with Calligraphy, bookbinding and related arts. She holds a BS in Elementary Education and currently teaches students of all ages and levels of experience. A life long learner, she continues to take classes and workshops from local, national and international instructors. Diane is a former President of the San Diego Fellow Calligraphers and lives in San Diego California. www.LetterReiter.com
SHARI ROBERTS After graduating with a BS degree in Biology, Shari attended Parsons School of Design for Interior Design. She became an Allied member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and worked in the field of contract Interior Design for 27 years. During her tenure, she took classes in different techniques of Faux Painting Finishes to incorporate into her design work. Eventually, this passion overtook Interior Design and she began painting more and more. Painting on walls lead to Furniture Refinishing and Painting which lead to Art Instruction for children. When Shari is not creating or thinking about art or her family, she is usually with Wendy, her Black Lab Pet Therapy dog. Shari and Wendy recently relocated to California from the East Coast. www.justfauxyoubyslr.com
ROBIN SANFORD ROBERTS is a theatrical scenic designer and artist working in models and mixed media. She has designed for Broadway, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego Rep, Arizona Theatre Company, San Jose’ Repertory and Swine Palace Productions. Robin has been a guest teacher for the Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, UCSD, MiraCosta college and was on faculty for 6 years at the University of San Diego. She holds a degree in architecture from LSU and a MFA in scenic design from UCSD. robinsanfordroberts.com
JUNE RUBIN is a graduate of Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA. Ms. Rubin has worked as an illustrator, art director, fine artist and art educator since the '80s. She has designed everything from gift wrap, tote bags, book covers to t-shirts. She has taught art to kids at the Children's Museum San Diego as well as through Bravo Workshop and the local recreation centers.She loves working in watercolor and collage. Inspired by her world travel and the beauty of San Diego. She is a member of the San Diego Watercolor Society and has exhibited there as well as at the Athenaeum and the Southwest Artists Association. www.junerubin.com
COOKY SCHOCK has recently retired as the owner of The Shepherdess in San Diego, CA. She has been teaching wire jewelry classes since 1999 and has taught at Bead Fest Philadelphia, the Best Bead Show Tucson, To Bead True Blue Tucson, Parson School of Design: Altos de Chavon Campus in the Dominican Republic and in Alaska. Her focus for the last six years has been on metalwork, primarily silversmithing, and most recently, has been exploring the use of metals of the less precious variety (such as copper and brass) and alternative materials including resins and acrylics. Cooky is a proud graduate of the School of Serendipitous Learning aka Life! Articles been published in Altered Couture, Expression Magazine, Designer Felt and Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry. She is currently working on a series of wall sculptures that include metals, beadwork and Navajo weaving.
LOUISE SHADONIX was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she enjoyed the surroundings of a world filled with culture and arts and crafts. After moving to California in 1987, Louise worked for companies like Sandicast, J & J, and Eli Lilly. In the late 90’s, after being exposed to beading and jewelry making by her daughter’s best friends’ mother, Louise found her calling and PMC (Precious Metal Clay) was the “icing on the cake” as it was discovered to be the missing element to many of her creations. Having been triple-certified by 3 masters in the field, she brings a wealth of “know how” and information when it comes to teaching in this medium. Louise has enjoyed teaching jewelry making with beads since 1999 and Metal Clay since 2003. She has won Best-in-Show, the Courteney McGowen Creativity Award, numerous San Diego Fair ribbons, and the prestigious International Design Award from Metal Clay Artist magazine. Ms. Shadonix has also been published 5 years running in the annual journal: “Exceptional Work in Metal Clay,” published by the International PMC Guild. www.sha-sha.us
NADINE SPIER is an award-winning fiber artist and instructor. She works in a variety of fiber mediums, and her elaborately woven vessels and sculptures are displayed internationally in solo, invitational and juried shows. She has an impressive record of exhibitions and awards including the Handweavers’ Guild of America Award of Excellence, many First Places, Best of Show and Juror’s Choice. Nadine lectures and teaches at museums, weaving conferences, universities, and community colleges in the U.S. and Canada. Her work has been published in numerous magazines, newspapers, and in "500 Baskets: A Celebration of the Basketmaker’s Art" by Lark Books (2006). In 2002 Nadine was featured on the Discovery Channel. www.nadinespier.com
KAREN STEINBERG received her Bachelor’s degree in Design from the State University of New York, College at Buffalo. She managed her own highly successful textile design studio for nineteen years, creating prints for fabric, for both the apparel and home furnishings industries. When the textile industry moved most of its design operations overseas, she shifted over to interior design, assisting many of her clients with everything from color consulting, drapery design and furniture selection, to kitchen and bath remodels. Karen worked for Expo Design Center as a whole house designer for five years. She currently operates her own independent interior decorating firm called KLSDesign. Karen has taught weaving, textile printing and painting to high school students at Belvoir Terrace Fine Arts School for Girls in Lenox, Mass; a Business Practice workshop to artists at the California Mart in Los Angeles and gave many design seminars at Expo Design Center on current trends and on product information. Painting borders around verses started when a friend first saw Karen’s textile design portfolio and wanted her to create a design using similar beautiful floral patterns around a special poem.
ANNA STUMP is an artist and arts educator living in San Diego. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at Occidental College in 1986 and her Master of Fine Arts at San Diego State University in 2001. She was a Senior Fulbright Scholar to the Fine Arts Department at Anadolu University in Eskisehir, Turkey in 2006-2007. She currently teaches studio and art history courses at San Diego City College, Mesa College and Grossmont College. Anna is the founder of the Feminist Image Group. She is represented by MLA Gallery in Los Angeles, Alexander Salazar Fine Art in San Diego, and Sanatyapim Gallery in Ankara, Turkey. www.annastump.blogspot.com
JOHN THURSTON began his training in Photography at ISOMATA in Idyllwild, CA in 1969. As a teenager, he taught children's art classes with artist Joe Nyiri at the San Diego Zoo. John studied Fine Arts and Earth Sciences at UC Santa Cruz, and returned to San Diego to get a practical degree in Information Systems from San Diego City College in 1985. For many years he worked as a Technical Editor for Hughes Aircraft Company in the Graphics and Marketing Departments. Finding that Rocket Science wasn't his real calling in life, he recently rediscovered his love of Photography. John has exhibited his award winning photographs at the Iowa State Fair, the San Diego County Fair Photography Exhibition, the Mia Italia Exhibition at the Italian Community Center in Little Italy, and City College's Student Photography Exhibitions. John works in traditional Film and Digital Photography.
CYNDA VALLE has been painting with oils for over 30 years; first in Los Angeles and currently in Mendocino County. She earned her BFA in Painting from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. Her work has been featured in Art News, Art in America, and American Artist Magazines. Cynda is represented by "The Electric Rose" in Healdsburg, CA and SFMOMA Artists Gallery at Fort Mason in San Francisco. She has taught at Scripps and Pomona Colleges as well as the Claremont Graduate School. She is the fourth generation of Valles from San Diego and is currently teaching at Mendocino College and residing with her family in Willits, California.
JENNIFER VAN PELT began her creative journey during her undergrad school years when she ran a daily program for elementary school children. New craft projects were designed and taught each day on a very limited budget. Jennifer enjoyed the creative process so much that she started exploring different mediums and ways of creating art. She discovered the world of Polymer Clay and then Rubber Art Stamping. After Jennifer earned her Master's Degree in Counseling she used art projects to help her clients cope with stress and anxiety. In 2006 she fulfilled a dream of owning her own craft store and purchased The Stamp Addict in San Diego. Jennifer has been teaching classes and running the store ever since. In October of 2010 she took a class in Zentangle® and fell in love with the new art. In October of 2011 she became certified to teach Zentangle® and started blogging about her creations and classes at www.jennifervanpelt.com. She now enjoys showing others that they too can create beautiful artwork one stroke at a time.
JULIE WARREN earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art from Michigan State University. She works in a wide range of media including painting, drawing photography and printmaking. Julie has been employed in graphic design since arriving in California in 1983. Currently, she is an adjunct Professor of Graphic Design at San Diego City College and her recent courses include digital media and web design. As a long time printmaker, Julie is able to write backwards. See samples of printmaking at www.juliewarren.net
LAURA WELLS Though completely self-taught in her jewelry craft, Laura’s degree in Environmental Design from San Diego State University and twenty plus years experience as an architectural designer in San Diego and Berkeley, CA is visible in her inventive use of color, sense of balance and visual design. Her mother, a folk-artist from the Aleutian Chain instilled in her an appreciation and connection to their Aleut heritage, while her father, an architect, taught her an appreciation for excellence in design. Laura took every opportunity to study and travel abroad, both during the pursuit of her degree, and later as an a designer. Trips to Italy, Switzerland and Australia proved particularly inspirational. Now, as a member of the prestigious Spanish Village in San Diego’s historic Balboa Park, she is part of a community of over 250 artists from the San Diego region. Her approach to jewelry design is unconventional and hands on. Laura Wells crafts handmade, inspired, yet unpredictable designs in glass, enamel and wire. This intuitive approach is used in the classes she teaches. Each necklace, ring, earring, and bracelet is the intended accident between a person’s creative instinct, her chosen tools, and the irrepressible nature of the materials. By nature of the organic design process, each piece is truly unique and can never be reproduced. www.christensenstudio.net
WAYNE WILCOXEN is an eclectic and well rounded artist and craftsman. His art has won many awards around San Diego and has been featured in many exhibitions at the San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park, Art Institute of California, Wagner Art Gallery in Del Mar and the San Diego Natural History Museum. Wayne has sold his earrings, bowls, prints and other art at Leaping Lotus in Solana Beach, Make Good in San Diego and online at Etsy.com. He was a guest speaker at the Fallbrook Art Association and San Diego Colored Pencil Society, and was a featured artist at Kettner Nights and at Unisys’s corporate office in Rancho Bernardo. Most recently, Wayne has been concentrating on his graphic design business as Flatfish Studio. He has learned that being an owner of a beautiful printing press does have it’s drawbacks. www.flatfishstudio.com
MARY WINKLEA started painting at age 16 after being inspired by Van Gogh’s paintings and his letters to his brother Theo, in which he described his passion for capturing on canvas the world as he saw and felt it. She is currently designing and painting fabrics from which she creates exquisite handbags and more. You may view her designs at mawinkleadesign.blogspot.com
ANNE WOLF is a nationally recognized metals artist and photographer based in San Diego. Her work has been shown in venues from the Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus in Hanau, Germany, to the National Ornamental Metals Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Recent shows in California include “New West Coast Design” at Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco, and a solo show at Noel-Baza Fine Art in Little Italy, San Diego. Anne Wolf trained under Helen Shirk and Arline Fisch at San Diego State University, receiving her MFA in 1999. Anne teaches the art and craft of metalsmithing at Southwestern College in Chula Vista as well as at her private studio, Anneville, located in NTC at Liberty Station. annevillestudio.com
Bravo School of Art • 2690 Decatur Rd Studio 206 San Diego CA 92106 • 619-223-0058
