Crafter and Educator. If it involves a needle, a hook, or just an eye for masterpieces and some agile hands, I probably know how. Lifelong needlecrafter and seamstress. Former In-Store Instructor for all of Michaels' classes. You know you miss those, right? Doing what I love to do here at Ground Floor Artists. Please stop by my little studio.
My artistic journey began in theater set design and costuming, eventually leading me to the decorative arts, with a focus on Trompe L'oeil murals, faux finishing, and custom stenciling. With multiple degrees and certificates in the art industry, I have honed my craft to create stunning 3D wall sculptures in plaster, inspired by nature, fantasy and all things beautiful.
Over the years, I've been fortunate to receive recognition for my work, including first place at the Concrete Decor Show and multiple wins in online competitions. My medium of choice is PLASTER, through which I create 3D wall sculptures that range from realistic and modern to botanical and fantastical themes. Some of my favorite projects include a giant pinecone for The Silver Pines Restaurant in Flagstaff, Arizona, a majestic rose relief for an event venue in Atlanta, Georgia, and an intricate medieval village fireplace for a private residence in Portland, Oregon.
Living in The Netherlands for 7 years and traveling throughout Europe, while working in the theater, allowed me to see plaster reliefs everywhere, mostly ancient ones. When I transitioned into decorative arts, I struggled to find someone to teach me how to create in relief, as it was not popular at the time and there were no instructional books available. I taught myself through experimentation, learning from trial and error. Now, after 20+ years, my vision and desire is to teach others so that we have more reliefs to gaze upon and appreciate.
During the COVID pandemic, I created an online academy to continue sharing my passion. I now teach online classes, including an introductory course and a year-long, university quality program. For more information, visit my website at http://www.eliteartistrybyellie.com.
Recently, I moved my art studio to Arizona to be closer to my two daughters and four grandchildren. This move has filled me with renewed inspiration, drawn from the stunning beauty of Arizona.
My mission is to see more beautiful reliefs created in the USA. Many people in the country have never even seen a plaster relief, and most artists have never attempted this art form. I
want to teach and encourage others to explore this beautiful medium, while dispelling the mystery and fear that often surrounds it. Plaster relief is not just an art form for me; it's a passion that I am eager to share with others, ensuring this timeless craft continues to flourish.
Raised in Las Vegas, NV, my family made quite a few international moves-including Europe, Micronesia, and the Middle East. Traveling the World helped me grow into the artist I am today and learn from a vast array of people and their unique cultures. I’ve been lucky enough to run with the bulls in Pamplona, hike the Tongariro Alpine crossing in New Zealand, scuba dive with the Thresher sharks of Malapascua and the manta rays of Micronesia, climb the Harbour Bridge down under, sand board the dunes of Abu Dhabi, and simply just live my life to the absolute fullest.
I’ve worked on merchandise and apparel design since 2006, moving from freelance to a full-time position, and have designed for bands such as Jimmy Buffett and Slightly Stoopid. My specialties include merchandise and t-shirt design/separations; however, I also create tech packs, flyers, catalogs, company branding, packaging, social media marketing, vehicle wraps, custom linocuts, paintings, and so much more!
Kelly Commerford has been painting for 4 years and enjoys Oil, Acyclic, Watercolor paintings. He loves to paint landscape and seascape subjects as well as whimsical subject matter. Kelly is a retired sales and marketing hospitality executive and lives Sun City West and moved here from San Diego California. Born and raised in Minneapolis Minnesota.
Vicki Jessing is an Arizona-based artist and art educator. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Northern Arizona University. She has worked in painting (oil, acrylic, watercolor, silk, and wool), illustration, needle felting and more for over 30 years.
Vicki worked at Villafane Studios, contributing to large-scale sculptural installations and seasonal art events. She has taught art in K–8 educational settings and continues to teach both in-person and online classes.
She is the founder of Epic Earth Arts, an online art education community and marketplace, and co-creator of Infinity Keepsake Cards. Vicki maintains a working studio in Surprise, Arizona.
All of Heidi's work is original, created from stoneware clay. It takes two firings in the kiln, the first is the bisque. The second one is the glaze firing where the work is fired to 2200 degrees F. Due to the application of the glazes and the nature of the kiln firing, each piece will be unique and original.
Mike Hendricks is a new artist. I paint representational subjects using acrylics. Each painting is mounted in wood frames hand built by the artist. I paint what interests me and happy to take commissions.
Patti Ball, (Whiskers and Watercolor) is a retired art teacher who spent much of her career teaching near the Navajo and Zuni Indian Reservations in New Mexico. Named New Mexico Art Educator of the Year in 2017, she continues to share her love of creativity through painting and jewelry making. Patti enjoys capturing the beauty of florals, hummingbirds, animals, and specializes in watercolor and pastel pencil pet portraits. She loves to celebrate the special bond between people and their pets. Patti accepts commissioned watercolor and pastel pencil pet portraits.
The excitement of fluid acrylic painting for me is created by the vibrant color, the textural variations and the designs issuing from various fluid techniques and experimentation. This work is a culmination of the variety of media I’ve loved and worked with over four decades! I hope you enjoy the journey with me into the “landscapes of my mind 2.0”
ABOUT KATE JACKSON…
A fourth generation native Californian, Kate Jackson has painted almost exclusively in fluid water media for over 40 years. She has a bold, free, expressive style of painting, and is known for her use of vivid colors, her keen sense of design and variety of canvas shapes and materials. Her paintings are vibrant abstract images that transform artist and viewer alike.
Connie DeLuca’s passion for art was sparked at an early age in Rochester, New York, inspired by her father’s creativity and encouragement. A standout artist throughout high school, she pursued her education at the Rochester Institute of Technology, earning a degree in Fine Arts along with a diploma in Advertising Design and Computer Graphics.
Her career began with freelance logo design, followed by work as both a printer and artist at Sibley’s Department Store. She then became an illustrator for General Motors, where she honed her skills for 23 years. In a unique blend of artistry and precision, Connie transitioned into the dental field, where she has spent the past 20 years as a full-time dental technician. There, she applies her talent for carving and detail to create dentures and dental prosthetics, bringing both function and beauty to her patients by capturing resemblance and creating smiles.
Six years ago, Connie moved to Arizona, turning a new chapter in her life and continuing to explore her love for art. She works with many mediums and styles, expressing creativity through diverse forms of design. Connie is active in the Phoenix art community, hosting and teaching Paint Nite events at restaurants, coffee shops, home parties, and women’s exhibitions. Her artwork has been showcased in several exhibitions, including Ground Floor Artists, where she proudly won first place for one of her paintings.
Connie continues to share her art with the community and welcomes connections for both artwork sales and Paint Nite classes.
Sue Rauschenfels grew up in a small town in northern MN in the 1960’s where she spent a lot of time outdoors exploring. Nature was an important part of Sue’s childhood where she learned to play and create with her six sisters and neighborhood friends; building forts, climbing trees, and learning to navigate relationships. She has never lost her love for being in the woods and it is not surprising she enjoys painting trees from the heart and honoring them for their gifts. Sue also enjoys painting Sisterhood figurative artworks and is passionate to spread the message that sisters are to support all sisters and to lift each other up for best life deserved politically, socially and economically.
Sue’s love of nature, color, people and whimsy are often captured in her work. She enjoys telling a story in her artwork which is often as she sees things or dreams of how things should be rather than the realistic narrative. She is currently exploring abstract art and enjoying the challenge and excitement of learning to stretch and express her art voice.
Sue began painting full-time in 2009 after retiring from the University of Minnesota Duluth. She is self-taught and has taken art classes and workshops locally, nationally, and internationally and is grateful to study and to connect with creative artistic mentors for inspiration and for support.
Her artwork is represented in several gallery venues regionally and exhibited nationally in various juried exhibit offerings.
Sue currently enjoys wintering for several months in sunny AZ.
I was born and raised in East Africa and after pursuing further education in the United Kingdom. I moved to Minnesota with my husband in 1967 where my love for arts and crafts developed and grew. My formal introduction to painting was with a watercolor class gifted by my husband. We moved to Arizona 25 years ago and it was not until after my retirement at age 74, that I truly immersed fully in art. Occasional classes and tutorials on YouTube and later, my husband concerting our third garage into an art studio for me has given me opportunity to learn, grow and improve my skills. My family persuaded me to join the Sonoran Arts League which helped me make friends in the artist community and learn from them. And now, I recently joined the Ground floor Artists.
I currently work in both acrylics and watercolor, with a focus on landscapes, seascapes, florals, and wildlife. I am still discovering my style and experimenting with different techniques in both these mediums. I try to paint subjects that reflect my inspiration and love for them and hope that viewers experience the passion and joy I felt in creating them
I've always been artsy-fartsy, but until well into retirement, I did not devote much time to art. I was always too busy with other stuff! Now I find myself retired, widowed and living in Sun City with time to play. I consider myself a jack-of-all-trades and master of none when it comes to art. But there are so many art forms and I love them all! And since the joy is in the creation and the journey of discovery in art, I feel compelled to try them all--watercolor, pottery, collage, mixed media, sculpture, leatherwork, mosaic, wood carving, wood burning, china painting....you name it and I'll try it! I'm loving the luxury of being able to explore them all. Maybe at some point I'll become a master of some form of art, but in the meantime, I'll do a little bit of everything!
Janna Blackburn has called Maricopa, Arizona, home for the past 11 years, where she shares her life with her family. As a proud wife and mother of three beautiful daughters, she is also soon to become a grandmother for the first time in May 2025. Janna's artistic journey began in her youth, nurtured by her self-taught skills and encouragement from her grade school and high school teachers who recognized her talent. With the onset of empty nesting, she found more time to delve into her passion for art.
Primarily focused on Abstract Mixed Media, Janna draws inspiration from her travels as a Fire Life Safety Account Manager, which have taken her across the diverse landscapes of Arizona.
Much of her recent work reflects the interplay of city architecture, shadows, and the vast desert scenery under the expansive Arizona sky. She believes that art serves as a powerful mirror to society, telling stories infused with emotion, strength, and resilience.
Hi there, I'm Adrienne and I've loved art since I was a young child. I enjoy a variety of artistic expressions, but my favorite is drawing, especially cartooning and abstract art. I recently opened an Etsy store https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCraftShack42 and have a growing YouTube channel that brings me tons of joy. I am married to a wonderful man named Greg and we have a 21 year old daughter named Lily she recently graduated from nursing school and will begin her first job as an RN in July 2025, we are super proud of her and love her beyond words. We have an 8 yr old rescue dog and 3 adorable guinea pigs. I'm super excited to be joining GFA and look forward to seeing where this journey takes us.
I hold a degree from the University of Wisconsin, Stout, and have a background as a teacher, having taught art and home economics in public schools across Wisconsin and Minnesota. I've also shared my expertise by conducting workshops on Abstract Painting and Painting with Dots for the Palo Verde Artists in Sun City. My leadership experience includes serving as a Member and Past President of the Appleton Gallery of Arts in Appleton, Wisconsin, the Palo Verde Artists in Sun City, and the Vanguard Artists. In my artwork, I utilize various mediums such as acrylics, pastels, colored pencil, pen and ink, and mixed media. My subjects are diverse, ranging from abstract art and portraits of animals (with a particular focus on cats) to anything Western, including landscapes, cowboys, and flowers. Beyond painting, my related art projects include original needlepoint, beaded purses, designer sport shirts, tooth fairy pillows, and glittery Christmas pins. My artistic philosophy is rooted in the belief that art should be fun and stimulate our imaginations, encouraging experimentation and creation rather than copying, while also knowing when a piece is truly complete.
I was born in Ohio and my family moved to Arizona when I was just 2 years old, so nearly a native Arizonan. Me and my husband Bob (Smitty) of 50+ years have a little piece of heaven just outside of Show Low where you can find us in the summer months, and a home in Peoria where we winter.
I was a busy REALTOR for 30 years with very little time for outside activities; but took up photography in 2011 at the behest of my husband. Together we’ve traveled thousands of miles tootling through the woods on dirt roads throughout many states looking for wildlife to photograph. I’ve won several ribbons for these wildlife and landscape photographs at the Arizona Camera Club Council.
After retirement in 2017 I joined a pottery club, and stumbled into water color while attempting to learn to paint on my pottery. I’ve been learning to paint via YOUTUBE and a number in person classes. With no formal training, my style is simplistic and whimsical; which in addition to paintings, I have incorporated into greeting cards and mugs. My primary medium is watercolor but I also enjoy acrylic.
In an effort to “catch up” for the many years without art in my life, I have joined several art associations. In addition to Ground Floor Artists; I also am a member of the Westbrook Village Fine Arts Club, Artists Guild of Arizona, WHAM, and Arts Alliance of the White Mountains. I’ve very much enjoyed the demonstrations and classes available at all the organizations and through these associations I am realizing the many ways and mediums artists use to express themselves. I really consider myself “an artist in the making”!
We summer outside of Show Low, AZ, and as I spend more time in the beautiful White Mountains, I find my interests are expanding from mostly desert scenes to the wildlife I photographed as well as mountain/landscape settings. I particularly enjoy using my own photographs as reference for my paintings.
Art is spiritual for Lisa. She hopes it’s reflected in her artwork.
Suzan Sammak is a Syrian-born American artist, lives and works in Arizona, United States. After she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Commercial Banking and worked in commercial field for few years, she returned to her passion and studied at the Syrian Culture Center for Art & Sculpture, Suzan worked with different art mediums. Participated in many art group exhibitions between Syria and United States. She was awarded a merit-based scholarship from Scottsdale Artist’s School in Arizona to study with a professional artist. Suzan is committed to her artistic growth and looks forward to sharing her work with a wider audience.
Raised in Europe, I have been influenced by many different painting styles, which can be seen in my own art. My works have a distinguishable look with my strong colors and textures. Many of my compositions are anchored with geometric shapes and lines, creating both balance and tension.
In addition to painting my non-object abstract art pieces I also enjoy painting abstract portraits, creating collages, and mixed media. I enjoy creating prints with modern and old printmaking techniques
My works have been exhibited in art galleries and organizations throughout Germany and the United States. My art was also featured in "Project 36" with Theater Arts West and the Playwrights and Artists Series II, and See Me gallery. And I am an artist at the Finer Arts Gallery in Cave Creek.
