The Story . . .

It's still hard to believe that this painting journey started 8 years ago. Sometimes it only feels like a year or two, but the process has given me so much, and I have been blessed with so many wonderful people in my life. Painters and artists are a special breed and their generosity and willingness to share and give has enriched my life.

You're probably wondering about the name "Tolefairie" - it's sort of an odd name. Well this is how it came to be . . . The nickname "Tolefairie" came from my son Ronnie. The two of us were trying to think up a fun e-mail address that related to my new found interest of painting, which is where the word "tole" came into play. And since I am only 5 feet tall he thought the word fairie worked pretty well. So we put the two names together and came up with the name ToleFairie! We never realized it would ever be used for a business, let alone become a distinguishable monachre in my genre of painting.

For those of you who had visited our site previously, already know that this painting stuff is pretty miraculous only because of the circumstances surrounding the whole thing. Our entire family was at an outdoor event (May 2004) in Shreveport, Louisiana where we were living, and a very large bolt of lightening had struck a tree, and consequently it got about 30 people in the general viscinity. As a result I lost a good bit of my vision and wound up returning home to Baltimore to have some surgeries at Johns-Hopkins Wilmer Eye Clinic.

The good news is . . . I've been able to resume a lot of normal activities that we sometimes take for granted, and while reading and fine work is still difficult, I've been blessed with the ability to paint and design. I'd say the tradeoff was pretty cool!

After I had both eyes repaired I needed something to occupy my time and that's when I first picked up a paintbrush. I could see colors and shapes much easier than I could see text and fine work, so it was a good fit. I had a lot of success with it right away and that just gave me the incentive to try more. I'd also exposed myself to a hand full of wonderful artists that I got to study with, which I am certain as attributed to any success that has come my way. My very first ever lesson was with Ros Stallcup which was clearly a catalyst to try more. Shortlly after I went to a seminar with, Phyllis Tilford, and then Connie Parkinson, and Bobbie Takashima, all of whom were "building block" teachers for me.

About a year after my painting started, I had the good fortune to have my first design published in the now defunct Artist Journal. That was a huge confidence builder and I was so excited about being published. It wasn't too long thereafter that my next design appeared in PaintWorks Magazine. So as you can imagine, this thing just snowballed right before me and it was as if it were raining miracles; all I had to do is open my arms and catch them. So in a nutshell this was not something I planned; rather, it happened totally by accident and wound up being a life-altering thing.

Naturally the story has a lot of little caveats but since we've revamped the site we decided to shorten and edit this version, but the long and the short of it is . . . I'm still standing! I've been lucky enough to have a countless number of designs published and continue to do so. I travel around the country teaching my style of painting, and life is good!

I'm one of "those" people who believes that nothing is really ever by accident. There was a much bigger agenda for me and I just didn't know about it. Having this much wonderful stuff happen in such a short amount of time doesn't even seem feasible, but I am a person of great faith and I believe there is definately somebody watching over me.

I hope your life is always blessed and your days are full of love, health, and creativity!

This is a special quote that will always remain on my website. I even remember the place I read it (a little print shop in Shreveport), and thought it was the most powerful message. It's one I try to keep as a moral compass. I hope you enjoy it.

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breahed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."

Ralph Waldo Emerson