S.E. BLAND BIO

S. E. Bland discovered the joy of painting after a long career as a fiber artist.

“Artists have always been magical people to me. As a child I watched my mother design all our clothes, crochet beautiful things and paint and decorate our home, but I never thought of it as art. My grandmother made beautiful hooked rugs from old Army blankets, cut into tiny strips, dyed in beautiful colors and worked into fantastic designs on burlap bags. She could take one look at a quilt or bedspread and design a perfect pattern for her own use. As an adult, I loved the fiber arts, learning to weave and spin, dye cloth and silk threads, and I never realized that in our own way, my family and I were always artists!”

“It was only after taking classes at a community college to learn basic drawing and composition that I began to realize what I really wanted to do with my life. From the first drawing class, I was hooked! I took every class that college had to offer in the fine arts, going to school at night for seven years while I was running a business with my husband.

 The affirmation and encouragement I received led me to study, attend workshops and art retreats and finally to accept that painting would be my passion in life. I have never looked back. To stand on the side of a mountain and try to capture the light on the rocks, to set up my easel on the seashore and catch the motion of the waves, that is a joy that I am so grateful I found.”

Showing and selling her work in galleries and on-line, S. E. is always finding new places to visit, new techniques to try. She’s been awarded scholarships to Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Tennessee, spent a two month residency in Santa Fe, taken plein air oil painting classes in Sedona, and loves to share what she has learned.

 “I love teaching, trying new techniques and seeing all the beauty America has to offer, and I can’t wait for the next opportunity to pack up and go!”