Hi there!

Thanks for stopping by. I’m Valerie.

I’ve always been a maker and have taken solace in creating for as long as I can remember. Art making is a way for me to explore ideas, seek beauty, show joy, and find comfort in times of sorrow and stress. Working struggles out through my hands is a way to ask questions, explore possibilities and seek answers. The process of creating something, whether of value or not, helps me process life and find meaning. I’ve found that putting what is inside me out on paper, or other surface, helps name what I’m going through, release it and review it more objectively. In that way art making has become part of my healing journey.

Creating through art helps me connect with myself and The Great Creator, often beyond words. Art making is also a way I connect with other people who are interested in discovering new ideas and making art in new ways. I love that!

I absolutely love sharing in the ‘Aha’ moment with people as they discover they can do something new and creative, something that previously seemed a mystery, or even impossible. Making art with others and teaching Art workshops are ways I live out that passion and connect with other like-hearted people.

One thing I love is designing patterns. Since 2017 I’ve been designing stencils and sharing creative ways to use them to make beautiful art. You can check out my designs at StencilGirl Products®. I also have numerous stenciling video tutorials on my blog.

Books & Publications

The Prayerful Doodling book published in 2018, is an outgrowth of my spiritual direction training combined with my personal experience of art expression. In 2016 I worked on, and published through Taunton Press, two faith-based coloring books, Colorful Blessings and Colorful Blessings: Celebrating Everyday Wonders. In the book Paintings, Prayers, and Passages, I tell my faith journey through art. You may also find my Bible Journaling in Complete Guide to Bible Journaling and inspirational images in the Holy Bible: Mosaic, as well as in magazines such as Somerset Studio and Art Journaling, Coloring Studio, and Somerset Apprentice.

Education

At the age of 45 I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting; have attended and taught numerous workshops over the years; locally taught classes in my studio, volunteered in the Art Literacy program at an elementary school, taught travel art journaling classes at local libraries; and exhibited art in numerous galleries and exhibitions over the years.  For ten years, I taught Art and Art History to Jr. High and High School students.

Spiritual Direction

Taking time to listen and respond to God through art making is a natural part of my life and faith journey, a combination of being and doing, a collaboration and conversation with God.

In addition to being an artist and art teacher, I am a certified spiritual director though Sustainable Faith. My art emphasis in spiritual direction offers ideas, inspiration, and art processes that can help in unblocking creativity. It thrills me to watch people get unblocked and move forward in their creativity to grow into who God made them to be. 

You may not be familiar with Spiritual Direction.  Spiritual direction is a contemplative practice of helping another person or group to awaken to the mystery of God in all of life, and to respond to that discovery in a growing relationship of freedom and commitment. As a spiritual director, I recognize that God has called each person into being through God’s love and God desires to be the true Guide for each soul. My spiritual direction integrates the art-making process with the contemplative practice of listening and responding.

my motto:

“Love God - Serve Others - Make it Beautiful”