MY ART EXPERIENCE... The first one arrived in a box of Crayola Crayons: COLOR! It was love at first sight. Those were the early years -- those glorious coloring outside the lines years! My professional career actually began in Junior High School when my art teacher purchased one of my etchings. Later I found employment as a layout artist in retail advertisting (I love fashion -- I graduated from FIDM - Los Angeles, CA with a degree in Merchandising Communications, and a minor in Advertising Production). I eventually worked my way up to Creative Director, while also freelancing in graphic design. Then for about 10 years I took a left brain career detour, closed up my crayon box and shut down creatively out of survival due to an increasingly violent and abusive spouse. The strange thing was that after I left this relationship, I had a difficult time verbalizing my experiences. I discovered that in making a tiny 4x4 collage called a “vision collage” which was my first attempt at a piece of art in 10 years, I broke the silence that had imprisoned me. My art tells my story, my journey, through sunshine and shadows. I realize my words never left me. They were just swirling inside my head waiting to get out. So I’ll be barking out in my blogspace too… can ya hear me now? Hark! Hark! The dogs do bark… While this doggie still dabbles in some freelance home-style graphic design, writes and fascilitates art workshops, I remain true to my first love of colorful expression through fine art. This includes portraits by consignment and art dolls called Me Dolls. I also work with A Window Between Worlds, a non-profit art organization that uses art as a healing tool in the lives of battered women and children. (www.awbw.org) I rely on my sarcastic sense of humor (and alter ego Doc L. "Smack" Grotchman) to get me through the day. Doc makes frequent appearances every now and then in my blog to crack a joke or share a Quotable Quote. Most importantly I must give credit where credit is due: the Creator of the Universe Himself. His LOVE inspires me. How about you? Soli Deo Gloria! Solo Christo! Sola Scriptura! Sola Gratia! Sola Fide! But hopefully not solo you can't hear me... (groan)