About Wendy

“I’ve always needed to make things”

Wendy began painting in her early teens, driven by an insatiable need to create. She designed greeting cards for her family and took every art class offered. But her dreams of studying art were shattered when she was denied admission to the Rhode Island School of Art and Design, and told by her counselor that she just wasn’t college material.

For decades, she gave up her art.

“For the first time, I had the freedom to be an artist”

In 1995, Wendy entered Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, to continue pursuing a degree in health administration. But when her electives drew her towards art, she soon found herself spending all of her time in the Herron School of Art under the tutelage of dedicated professors and supportive students. Her training at Herron taught her to translate the world onto the paper, to have confidence in her work, and to get serious about her art.

Wendy continued to hone her art on a trip to China. She was inspired by the great artists who came before her, pouring their talents and energy into masterpieces like the Great Wall, and the terra cotta warriors of Xian. Her style evolved to evoke the classic hard-edged, non-impressionistic style common in China.

“That’s what my art is all about–making people happy”

Today, Wendy paints in a variety of media, including oil, water colors, and acrylics. Her paintings are filled with vibrant, saturated colors, offset by delicate details. Her subjects are drawn from life, emphasizing natural elements and the human form.

Wendy has stumbled on obstacles along the way. A neurological disorder makes it difficult and painful for her to paint, forcing her to crouch over her canvas on all fours.  But Wendy kept her love for art alive, and continues to produce work that fulfills her primary goal: making people happy.