In the beginning, I was given a magical marker and from the diapers on I was on a journey to becoming the best artist I could be. My name is Ivy. I'm currently in my sophomore year of college. While I was in high school I also went to Marchman Technical Education Center for Commercial Arts. Now-a-days, apart from being an instructor at Painting with a Twist, I give private lessons to kids and preteens who are looking to amplify their artistic talents. I enjoy inspiring all my students and challenging them in a creative and fun way. I love making people smile, napping and Cool Ranch Doritos... and cheese cake. I don't like long walks on the beach because I'm pretty sure I'm one of the palest Floridians known to man. If you ever have the opportunity to join me for a class I teach there will more than likely be random dancing, terrible singing, and over use of my favorite word "phalanges".

About myself - My name is Jessica. I was born in Dunedin, grew up in Tarpon Springs and currently reside in Palm Harbor. I come from a family of practicing artists and began drawing and painting at a very young age. Art has been a daily practice for me, made more meaningful now as I have the opportunity to teach and share my love and passion of artistic expression with others. History/ Experience My skills have been primarily self-taught although I did attend college classes in art history and drawing and enrolled in figure drawing classes at The Dunedin Fine Art Center. I also enjoy photography and dabble in digital art and illustration. Artistic expression is my passion; it is what I believe to be my ultimate purpose. It is one constant in my life that always brought me an abundance of joy. Just another form of communication, art allows me to express experiences, feelings, concepts and beauty in a way that words cannot. This is achieved by the creation of material; a physical form of love manifested from the spiritual world into existence and reality. It is my belief that art has just as much significance as mathematics and science in relation to understanding the world, its people and culture. I strongly support the arts in our education system. Our children are the future and exposure to the arts in all forms will create a deeper understanding for generations to come. When I finally embraced art as a full-time practice, many doors opened for me, and I continue to grow into a life more enriched with people who inspire me and opportunities that allow me to grow and appreciate life. Styles and influences - I mostly create paintings that feature the human female figure, nature, landscapes and abstract. Preferred styles include contemporary, impressionistic, abstract and expressionism. Some artists that have influenced me include Claude Monet, Andrew Wyeth, Jeremy Mann, Malcolm Liepke, John Singer Sargent, Vincent Van Gogh and Henri Manguin. I also look for inspiration from newly-emerging artists. According to Robert Henri, author of The Art Spirit, "The world would stagnate without him, and the world would be beautiful with him, for he is interesting to himself and he is interesting to others. He does not have to be a painter or sculptor to be an artist. He can work in any medium. He simply has to find the gain in the work itself, not outside it."

Creating Art was never a choice. Drawing & painting is essential to my survival. I can only imagine how much more rewarding motherhood would have been if I had produced art while living through the terrible two’s and adolescence. The diversity of my art reflects my vivacious, inquisitive and fervent personality. Laughing, Love & Art is Life…

Artist and fashionista, Michelle is a lover of wine, the color purple and is the mother of a fuzzy dog-daughter named Crystal. After a 26 ½ year career as a county government employee, she escaped the politics and bureaucracy to immerse herself in her passion of art and painting. Divinely guided to Painting with a Twist by a white heron, she and her friend Sharon are living proof that you can Live Your Dream and have a blast doing it!

“I dream to paint, then paint my dream!” My passion has always been Art. I have always had a crayon, paintbrush,pencil, or pen in my hand. The last words my father spoke to me were “Keep Painting” and I will always honor that! I am a proud mom of two sons, two beautiful daughter-in laws and two of the most beautiful grandsons in the whole entire universe REALLY! With my “partner in crime” Michelle aka Sherlock, we have had the opportunity to see our extended PWAT Family grow and allow people to tell us “ I am an artist and I didn’t even know it!” This is MY dream, and I am following it EVERYDAY... Someday I WILL "Paint in Paris!"