Most artist I’ve spoken to have said they started drawing at a young age, I believe I was around seven. I remember drawing little princesses with their hair up buns, wearing long dresses covered with bows. I wish I had those drawings today for they would certainly make me chuckle. As I grew my interest in art faded until high school where I had a very influential art teacher who saw my raw potential and helped strengthen my art skills. This teacher to whom I speak is Linda Stevens Moyer, now a world renown watercolorist.
After high school I joined the military and went off to become a Fire Fighter in the Air Force. That was fun. After four years I moved to Maryland as a wife and a mother of one sweet little boy whom I named, Freddy. Soon my second son Justin came along who brightened my world even more. Times got tough so I started drawing again hoping to sell some art and bring in extra money. My friends encouraged me to enter the towns art show. Low and be hold I won the blue ribbon for my drawings and a collector bought all my pieces which was a major rush I must say!
From there I continued drawing and painting, entering other art shows, painting murals, entering art contests, mind you, I did this all with two small boys at my side who were truly my inspiration.
In 1994 I received a scholarship to attend the Philadelphia Art Institute where I pursued a degree in the field of animation. This move took me many places including a stent with Disney. I’ve had a gallery in my home, owned my own downtown art gallery and have had my work shown in galleries. I’ve received an honorable Governors Citation for my work and have won and lost a few art competitions along the way. But overall, I have to say, I have loved each and every minute. For the future, now that Crypto is upon us, the NFT is the new artist frontier and one I am seriously exploring.
So please stay tuned, there is defiantly more to come.
FEATURED ARTICLES:
Cover - Loudoun Times Mirror - Indy News November 2011
Loudoun Times Online- News - November 2011
élan magazine October 2011 Issue
Feature Section - Mural Artist - Harford County Sun 1992
Feature Section - Harford County Sun, 1993
Feature Section - Baltimore Sun, 1994
Featured article - Area Muralists, Havre de Grace Magazine, 2006
SOLO SHOWS:
The Art Studio of Valerie Lloyd, Summer 1993,1994,1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Havre de Grace Decoy Museum, Summer1997 (The Watermen of the Chesapeake Unveiling)
LA Cle Dor' Guest House, Spring 1999
AWARDS
1st Place, Drawing Havre de Grace Art Show 1986
1st Place, Drawing Havre de Grace Art Show 1987
2nd Place, Maryland State Fishing Stamp Design Competition 1989
2nd Place, Maryland State Fishing Stamp Design Competition 1990
Maryland Governors Citation - Sports Poster Competition 1992
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:
Havre de Grace Art Festival 1986-1994
Salisbury Waterfowl and Art Festival 1991
Bel Air Festival of the Arts 1991 (juried artist) Virginia Beach Waterfowl Festival 1992 (juried artist) Columbia Festival of the Arts 2008 (juried artist) Ocean City Arts fine Art Show 2008 (juried artist)
Sugarloaf Arts Festival 2008 (juried artist)
Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival 2008 (juried artist) Bethesda Row Arts Festival 2008 (juried artist) Richmond Arts in the Park 2008 (juried artist) Neptune Festival - 2009 Virginia Beach (juried artist)
Western Loudon Artist Tour 2009 Western Loudon Artist Tour 2010 Western Loudon Artist Tour 2011
ORGANIZATIONS:
Colored Pencil Artist of America - Patron Member
Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators - Patron Member
PUBLISHINGS:
Maryland Department of Fisheries - Fishing License Brochure 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992
Work Published - Light up Your Watercolors Layer by Layer 2003. A transparent watercolor titled, “A Boys Face” page 30
