Schmidt has been painting all of her life. Her first drawing was praised so much by her family that it made her decide to become a painter. She never imagined what this first attempt at art would bring to her life. She remarks that it has brought years of joy and satisfaction, but most importantly, it has given her the opportunity to create a special bond with her students, whom she considers her dearest friends. She began teaching watercolors at her friend’s request and has been sharing her inspiration and skills with others ever since. "I am a teacher on request," she explains. Schmidt enjoys painting and teaching because it offers her a way to retain in her mind memories and images that would otherwise be gone. Landscapes and flowers from her garden are subjects that capture her imagination. Painting them allows her to see "beautiful things even more beautiful." And this is what she teaches to her students: to see the world in a different manner in a much brighter and beautiful way.

[artist biography by Ximena Cisneros; artist photograph by Shanda Brown]