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Bio..

Theresa Blanding’s presence lives and breathes her unique creativity. The people around her are always commenting on how eager they are to see what she is wearing. Her response is, “I am just one of those girls who like to dress up. If they would only pay me for how I dress.” From a young age, her outfits were centered on statement necklaces.  Loving the complexity of multiple-strands, glass, and gemstones all textured in an elegant manner, she collected the pieces that inspired her the most. Busy as a corporate executive, her daily costume was her palette.

Having already earned two engineering degrees, when Theresa had the opportunity to go back to school, it was clear that she should acknowledge her creativity in a more direct way, so she began to take art classes at Naropa University. While painting with acrylics and oils, casting bronze, dying textiles, and creating mixed media installations, she learned that art wasn’t about technique, which she was learning. Art was about having something to express. As Maynard Soloman said, “a work of art is a constantly renewable source of energy.” Staying true to her personal aesthetic, she found this source within herself enabling her to channel her creativity freely into her painting.

When she moved to Sedona, her studio space was down-sized and abstract painting turned into jewelry-making, where her painterly ways could still find expression in gemstones and glass. With encouragement from Ginny Clarke at a Scottsdale gallery, who immediately recognized Theresa's exquisite use of color, she took her work to a higher level and the Hexagram Series began to emerge. The response to these pieces and their beauty was immediate. As a museum director commented, "I'm not usually emotional. However, Theresa's work brings out an emotive quality in me that is quite profound." Another gallery owner expressed how much she loved the complexity and richness of Theresa's work.

(Photo of Theresa by Susan Faust)