When I was a child, I loved to draw and paint, but it was something I did for myself, so I did not pursue art in school. degree in Finance from Virginia Tech (go Hokies!) and spent the next 10 years as a Benefits Consultant. After I became a mom to 2 of my 3 girls, I picked up a paintbrush and left the corporate world behind. Now, I paint on a variety of surfaces, from glassware to walls to canvas
, and always enjoy finding new surfaces to paint on (such as my custom painted guitar pickguards). One area that I am passionate about is children's art programs. Throughout the year I host a series of art camps in Gainesville, VA to encourage art as a positive outlet for children's creativity. I have also taught a homeschool art class in Gainesville and taught art enrichment to children at Haymarket Baptist Preschool and Kindergarten. Another passion of mine is giving back, and I believe the words of Mother Teresa, that:
“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and you gave me food to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.’ Hungry not only for bread — but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing — but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks — but homeless because of rejection.”
I have had the opportunity to paint memory boxes for an infant bereavement program, paint gifts for family members of the victims of 9/11, and paint murals and offer art projects to children on mission trips to Guatemala, and to a homeless shelter in Manassas, VA. Now, with God as my guide, I am going to continue to create art and art programs, but I am also just beginning a journey in some exciting and new directions. In July, I completed the Art4Healing Certification program through Brandman University and Art & Creativity for Healing, Inc., and am now certified to use the Art4Healing method in workshops that I will be offering in the community. The Art4Healing method uses the language of color to allow participants to express and explore feelings which can assist in a participant's healing. (*the process is therapeutic, but it is not Art Therapy, Art Therapy is a legally separate institution and field of practice.) I entered the Art4Healing program wanting to incorporate it in my work with children and teens, and I still do; but my experience of volunteering at a workshop at Camp Pendleton has me looking into working with the Wounded Warriors in the D.C. I watched young military men and women turning their pain; their fears; their issues with anger/alcohol/suicide attempts into beauty and healing through painting. Through my new program, art heals, I will be offering art workshops in Gainesville, VA and beyond (beyond being Wounded Warrior Centers, homeless shelters, and future mission trips to Guatemala and other places that God sends me). I want to thank you all for visiting my site, and remember that "art is our one true global language. It knows no nation, it favors no race, and it acknowledges no class. It speaks to our need to reveal, heal and transform. It transcends our ordinary lives and lets us imagine what is possible." -Richard Kamler
