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Gratitude for my Volunteers!

As we approach Thanksgiving, I’d like to shine a light of heartfelt thanks upon my team of dedicated volunteers who provide invaluable assistance to me both in my classes and behind the scenes!

Firstly, I’d like to thank my Art Together Volunteer Painting Companions! I currently have about 15 of them. Thanks to their loving support, seniors with disabilities and impairments who participate in my group workshops have the assistance that they need.

I’d also like to thank my friends and family who come to my home and help me test supplies and painting techniques, and provide their invaluable advice on everything from product development, marketing research, and organizing my studio!

I absolutely love having collaborators in spreading seeds of joy and love through art! God bless each of you for your dedication, love and gift of your time and friendship in helping me help others.xo

If you live in the Northern VA area would like to learn more about volunteering with my Art Together programs, please click here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbG0iR8pPZUNnynxINJFpTqJfXMUw9__GyBIgbSwel1idsdA/viewform

Free Paintings for Neighbors

Q: What to do with way too many paintings?

A: Find them a home!

I had the best time giving away nearly 100 demonstration paintings to nursing home residents and neighbors this month! I never knew cleaning out my studio could be so life-giving!

Retreat for Persons with a Serious Illness

In October I was so very blessed to be among a team of 19 volunteers who provided a 3 day retreat of respite, love and spiritual inspiration and support for individuals facing a serious illness and their caregivers. This retreat has been offered for about 40 years in my diocese of Arlington, VA. It was started by two women who had made a Cursillo Weekend and later sought the help of a team of nurses, doctors, priests and other volunteers to make it accessible for those with health challenges.

What an amazing experience we all had! I was so blessed to be able to spend a weekend with this beautiful group of men and women journeying together in God’s loving embrace. I was so happy to be able to extend an opportunity for all our retreatants and volunteers to an afternoon of painting and prayer. The theme that God placed on my heart was Psalm 23 “The Lord is my Shepherd”. It was 90 minutes that included singing, prayer and painting the cover of a prayer and gratitude journal.

I want to give a big thank you to Catholic Charities for underwriting the cost of the whole retreat and all the supplies needed for this workshop, and to all those who were so brave to paint with me! Here’s to the gifts of love, faith, and creativity explored together!

Older adult painting journal cover with a landscape assisted by a volunteer
Some of our nearly 30 journals painted during our 90 minutes together
Two journals painted by a married couple

Art Together named 2023 Winner of the Leesburg Small Business Arts and Culture Award

Thank you Leesburg Town Council and Economic Development Commission for recently selecting my business as the recipient of the Leesburg Small Business Arts & Culture Award for 2023! When I went up to the podium I brought with me in my heart all of the people I have been so privileged to have as my students, and in whose honor I accepted the award.

I am so grateful for the caring mentors I’ve had from the SBDC (Small Business Development Center) who have been instrumental in helping start my business 26 years ago, and have given me the self-confidence and resources to serve my community as an artist-teacher-entrepreneur. How blessed I was to have three of those special mentors with me when I received the award (Eric Byrd, Robin Suomi and Ruth Cope) as well as my dear husband and future son-in-law.

A very special thank you to my husband for nominating me for this award. I truly couldn’t be living my dream without his invaluable support.

Painting Winter’s Treasure as a Family

My family knows what makes me happy – anything we do together! So when they agreed to make a collaborative winter painting with me I was beyond excited. The catch? We had to be done in about 90 minutes and certainly under two hours! What a sweet memory and painting that I will always treasure.

Meadow Glen’s Open House Celebrates Their Resident Artists

On June 1st we had the great joy of showcasing the beautiful artists we get to work with at Meadow Glen Assisted Living. Residents and visitors enjoyed our slideshow and exhibit featuring a sampling of the hundreds of paintings Meadow Glen’s residents have created in the nearly four years they’ve had me coming there. As a special added treat, attendees were given an opportunity to experience for themselves just how easy and enjoyable it is to follow our guided painting process! Two beautiful collaborative beach paintings were created that night by eight brave residents, families, staff and visitors!  

A special thank you to the Executive and Activities Directors at Meadow Glen for inviting us to be part of their Open House. Here’s to the beauty and joy their residents are bringing into our lives!

Presenting at the Maryland Activity Coordinators Society’s Annual Conference in Ocean City, MD


On September 27 & 28 2016, I had the privilege to present two 90-minute workshops at the Maryland Activity Coordinator’s Society (MACS) annual conference in Ocean City, MD. It was a wonderful experience! I am so grateful that my associate, Jess Sauder, was able to join me. I was also deeply honored that Greenfield Senior Living of Berryville, Virginia would send their Activities Director four hours away for two days to give a five-minute testimonial at each workshop about how much they value my program. It was a wonderful experience for each of us to be with such a caring and talented group of activity professionals. I’d like to also give a special thank you to Tammy Hay, MACS Conference Coordinator and Activities Director at Carol Lutheran Village in Maryland, for inviting me to speak and lead these hands-on workshops. May all these efforts help more people to experience the life-enriching gifts of the arts in their lives.