AboutUs

In 1976 Bob and I were married. Three of the five children and I moved with him to the northwest corner of Milwaukee where I opened a tole shop and I continued to teach decorative painting classes. In 1978 I wrote my first three Decorative Painting books, went to the St. Louis National Tole Convention to sell them, and the rest is history.

We moved from Milwaukee to Eagle River, WI in 1982 where we opened another shop and built a studio where I designed and taught classes. Because of the inconvenience of traveling via air from this remote region, we decided to move to Waupaca in central Wisconsin in 1992. We remodeled the 1849 farmhouse and opened a B&B. We also operated a Gift & Tole Shop and studio where I continued to do my design work and painted to sell.

In 2000 I reached that "golden retirement age" and decided that "my idea of retirement" was to just do the things I liked most. The preparation for having a booth at a National Painting Convention takes a LOT of time and energy, and I set up my last booth in Nashville in 2000! I will still continue to write books, design packets and rubber stamp images and travel teach nationally for as long as the Lord allows.

In 2001 after Bob's prostate cancer diagnosis, he suggested that I decide where I wanted to settle permanently when I would be alone, so he could help me with the many remodeling projects needed by THIS decorative painter! We moved to St. Cloud, Fl. in 2002 to be near my daughter, Laurie. We are still in the process of settling in as of 6/03, but my studio is nearly finished and I am beginning to work more and more on designing and painting. It was a monumental move, and I'm thankful that it's behind me. 35+ years of collecting as a decorative artist left me with a LOT of sorting and disposing to do! I still managed to keep and move FAR too many treasures, but I now plan to begin to paint on as many of them as possible in the time I have left!!!

The purpose of this site is to share painting and rubber stamping ideas and experiences and a tasty recipe or two with other decorative painters. (Don't we ALL like to eat good food!) You can always keep up with my latest work here on the web site, as I'm learning to add things and will add to the existing inventory as often as new things are created. Through it all, my Bob continues to be my greatest supporter and helpmate. He works "behind the scenes" so I can keep creating, painting and traveling. I feel blessed to have had this man in my life and hope to keep him there for as long as possible.

If you should find yourself in the St. Cloud, FL area, I hope that you will contact me via the telephone or e-mail and hopefully we can schedule a time together, for a lesson OR just to chat.

We wish you GREAT DECORATIVE PAINTING, and may God Guide your brush!