My grandmother once confided to me that she'd "rather quilt than eat." Her hushed tone implied that this was our secret – something of which our Mennonite culture may not approve. She also provided my first color theory lesson. "In braiding rugs," she said, "you should always start with two dulls and one bright." Then she leaned a little closer and added, "But my mother liked bright colors. Sometimes she would use two brights and one dull."

I've learned a lot of color theory since then, getting a degree in art education from Goshen College, and a masters in art education from Millersville University. I taught art in public schools for 17 years.

I've recently left teaching to create one-of-a-kind certificates for families and businesses in my home studio. I put fragments of my past into every document I create. Like Grandma, I can get lost in drawing details into a border, or in adding subtle layers of watercolor to a vine.

I live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with my husband, my 11-year-old son, and my four-year-old daughter, Willa (above). She enjoys playing "art critic."

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