Valerie used art to express herself and her special interests in fantasy, nature, and animals in her youth. Along the way she gathered some more skills and awards for her artwork, but started to lose the spark creating and bought into the myth of the starving artist. She then graduated with a degree in Psychology and went on to get various jobs, including work in special education and mental healthcare.

 

While working in mental health during the pandemic, burnout and a lengthy struggle with her own mental health followed. Despite that, she persisted in her desire to bring light to others because she didn't want others to suffer alone in the darkness.

 

Then drawing came back into her life as path to bring healing. When she tried using charcoal a decade prior she did not enjoy the medium, but she felt called to find a deeper connection to her love of animals through the use of charcoal. She has since discovered charcoal, a medium made of organic matter that is made through fire, it lends an imagery of creating beautiful new life from the ashes.

 

She is now living as an artist 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.

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You can catch Valerie showcasing her artwork at various art shows and events throughout Wisconsin.

 

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