I am a retired Army nurse. I was born in California and am an Air Force “brat”, mother of two awesome adult children, and two lovely grandchildren. The Arts have always been a part of my life. As a child moving from base-to-base, we had the opportunity to experience artistic expression from around the world. My mother’s main medium was leather and clay. My father was a painter and won several local awards as a young man.

I tend to flitter from one project to the next. I have dabbled with stained-glass, scrapbooking, decoupage, framing/woodworking, restoring furniture, ceramics, mosaic, tile art, paper making, collage, drawing/sketching and painting. My main themes are repetitive patterns, nature, and common objects that are part of my everyday life. 

As part of my creative evolution, I currently work on sketching, drawing and painting techniques. Art and creating brings me immense joy and helps me to process my emotions. I love painting with acrylics because it's calming and meditative qualities. I treasure my relationship with art and can’t wait to see how my artistic journey evolves. 

These sessions have become more than art classes; they are a sanctuary of friendship, creativity, and growth. United by our love for both the military and photography, we encourage one another to push boundaries and embrace the world around us with fresh eyes. We venture into our communities, discovering unexpected magic in familiar places.

Through laughter, adventure, and a shared sense of purpose, we've built more than portfolios—we’ve built connection, courage, and a new way of seeing the world.

I served in the U.S. Army Reserves for 25 years with deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003-2004 and Operation New Dawn in 2010-2011. Art has been therapeutic for my mental health. Photography allows me to set aside the baggage experienced through war and gives me confidence to explore my surroundings through my camera. I have been practicing photography for over two years. The idea of practicing mindfulness inspired me to create these pieces of art. I was actively able to stop and notice my surroundings as I go through the day. 

I have retired after working more than 50 years, and I am retracing some things that brought me great joy as a teenager. Pottery class is one of those things. I also look forward to learning to paint and taking photography classes. 

As a veteran with low vision and no vision in one of my eyes, the clay makes me be present and feet at peace. 

An Extension of Carpentry by David Saylor 

Clay

I am a veteran with 10 years of service in the army. I started my service as a carpenter and mason and continued these skills after my service.  I am now visually impaired so l try to continue my artistic carpentry skills through hand pottery. 

A New Horizon Calls by Terri Dellapina 

Fiber Arts (front)

A New Horizon Calls by Terri Dellapina 

Fiber Arts (back)

I've been a quilter and fabric collector for many years.  Fabric dying is something I've always been interested and so glad the class was offered at The Joel Foundation to finally learn this skill.

As an avid reader, the process of creating a book is something that is always lingers in the back of the mind. Being able to see behind the scenes is beyond fascinating, and having a tangible piece to hold after all the effort you go through is equally rewarding.

Notebook by Xavier Hines

Bookmaking (outside cover)