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.

Pattern Design

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. Recently, in 2025 I’ve ventured into pattern design and loving reconstructing and designing for repeatable patterns on products. After taking the Immersion course taught by Bonnie Christine, I found I could learn programs like Adobe Illustrator and enjoyed figuring out how to make pleasing repeating patterns. I worked diligently, got certified, and the beautiful world of pattern design is opening up. So many designs are wanting to be made and I’m excited to make them.

One thing I’m learning in real time is that It’s never too late and nothing is wasted. All the years of art making, journaling, doodling and designing have put together a body of work that can be deconstructed, added to, and built on to make beautiful patterns to put on products.

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.

Learning & Education

I am a life-long learner, taking joy in learning new art processes and ways of making life more beautiful. 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.

I’d love to hear from you. Click on the button to email me.