About Heidi Contreras:
Heidi considered herself an artist at age four and a poet at eight. She is a self-taught multi-media artist with an inventtive streak; and, a children's writer with a passion for teaching and nurturing her students' "artist within." Heidi constructs unique rice paper collages, fascinating glass collage pendants, and her whimsical one-of-a-kind stained glass beaded "Angels with Attitude". Her vibrant oil paintings range from impression to expressionism, bordering abstract. Before developing her passion for mixed media collage and oil painting, Heidi worked in watercolors, pastels, drawing in pen & ink, Prismacolors, and pencil portraiture. She also designs one of kind handbags, beaded scarves and stone jewelry. Heidi discovered that each medium she works in feeds inspiration into the others.
Heidi, a dedicated teacher with over twenty-five years of teaching experience, has seen many of her students win local, national and international art contests. In order to keep her teaching illustrations organized, Heidi created The Big Fat Idea Book, © a youth art curriculum. She teaches at Heidi Contreras School of Art at Trinity United Methodist Church on Brookside in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Appointed honorary judge and speaker for the grand opening of the 1st International Children's Art Forum of Kaliningrad, Russia, Heidi spoke on the televised, "Children: The Hope of the Future" in the presence of delegations from France, Germany, Poland and Russia. Heidi's art has been in Tulsa Ballet's juried "Art of the Dance" exhibit, Tulsa Artists Coalition juried "Anthology" exhibit, the Water Street Art Gallery, Sapulpa, Oklahoma, Firenza Gallery in Arroyo Seco, NM, Southminster Presbyterian Church, Tulsa, the Kaliningrad Art Gallery, Kaliningrad, Russia, as well as numerous private collections.
Heidi, a life-long student, considers her artist and writer friends, life in general, and the local library, her mentors.
About Betty Dalsing:
An Oklahoman since the late sixties, Betty paints the local landscape as well as painting and photographing during her travels. She paints in her studio and on site using oil on canvas. Her field studies are used in the studio for value and color notes. Oil is her favorite medium and she uses a palette knife and brush to transfer a lot of paint to the canvas. Landscapes are her favorite subject and her paintings invite the viewer into the scene.
Betty has enjoyed a lifetime appreciation of art and came to painting after concluding a busy career. She has studied with noted impressionist artists and continues to study, learn and teach.
Classes are taught with emphasis on color and composition, knowing that those two elements can make a successful painting. She competes in state and national competitions and is a member of state and national art associations.
About Julie Miller:
As a professional artist and respected instructor, Julie works with traditional elements and a contemporay approach. Her narrative paintings are colorful and dynamic and she has a strong following of both collectors and students. She belongs to several regional arts organizations and is sought aftger as a workshop facilitator and show participant. "Julie Miller paints in an abstracted representational style. Her subjects are varied and described as bothy subtle and vivid painterly strokes. Her award winning work is in many private collections across the country."
About Shannon Rook:
Shannon is passionate for and has studied art for most of her life. She is a master craftswoman having worked with her hands: ceramics, photography, drawing, painting, sewing, embroidery, knitting, crafts, cooking. As a home school mom she poured her love for art into her children as she nurtured her passion for working with kids and seeing their creativity blossom while teaching VBS and home school classes. Shannon, with a BS in art, worked for twenty years as an interior designer. Her mother taught her to sew at ten, since then she has created her and her daughter’s clothes. She uses her love of color in all art forms. Shannon is currently teaching a myriad of art and sewing classes at Heidi Contreras School of Art and is also Ms. Heidi’s assistant.
About Mary Jane Porter
Ms. Porter is a native Oklahoman raised in Muskogee and currently living in Tulsa. She earned a BFA degree from Oklahoma State University and a Masters degree in painting from the University of Tulsa. Her studio emphasis is mixed media involving drawing, painting, print making, fiber, and even work with rubber. Her love for mixed media is also expressed in the creation of lively art piece puppets represented by Mama Trizza’s Pottery Shop in Tulsa. Her mixed media wall pieces are handled by Zark’s Gallery in Eureka Springs, Ark. She has experience teaching private students as well as classes with adults, teens and children through Philbrook Museum School, The Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa, and other Tulsa area art programs. She has taught at the university and college level for many years and is currently at Northeastern State University and Tulsa Community College. Her exhibition record is extensive receiving awards in many competitive shows including 1st Place in Fiber Art at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum. Please go to her website to see some of her creations www.maryjaneporter.com.