About Valerie

From a young age, Valerie used art to express herself and her special interests in fantasy, nature, and animals. In high school, she further developed her art skills and received awards and scholarships for her artwork. She went to Concordia College in Moorhead Minnesota to study Psychology and Neuroscience. In her senior year, she took an Intro to Drawing course, further expanding her artistic skills and planting the seed for her future artwork. 

 

Upon graduating with her degree in Psychology, she spent the following years working with children in special education and then with adults at a residential mental healthcare facility. After struggling with her mental health throughout the pandemic, she reignited her art practice with a desire to spread light and hope through her work. 

 

She is now a self-employed artist, living in Wisconsin, who specializes in creating realistic wildlife portraits in charcoal. She draws inspiration from the beauty and resilience of wildlife subjects and the timeless elegance of black and white artwork. Through the use of an eraser she can carve out areas of light to bring a piece to life, in the same way illustrating how pulling out areas of light in our moments of darkness can bring us to life. 

 

She is also developing her skills in painting through the Norwegian folk art of Rosemaling. She spends time with her grandmother and other local rosemalers to connect with her heritage and explore the various styles of rosemaling. She looks forward to how learning this beautiful folk art will influence her future works in charcoal. 

 

Thank you for being here, may you find light in the darkness.