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Her paintings, meticulously executed in oil and oil glazes on the
finest Belgian linen, are richly detailed with superb technical acumen.
Tonia¹s special artistry, however, is in her ability to capture the
essence of a personality; to find the inner light within.
Tonia sold her first portrait at age 16. An
artist since she could hold a pencil, Tonia was given private lessons
equipping her with a basic mastery of graphite, pastels and watercolor by
the age of 12. Born into an artistic family, she learned to paint
everything from landscapes to animals and her primary inspiration, the
human face and body.
As a young adult at the University of Wisconsin and the Vancouver School
of Art, Tonia¹s creative media segued into sculpture, acrylics and oils,
leading to many group and individual shows in the United States and
Canada. In 1977, Tonia moved to the island of Maui.
In addition to continuous portrait commissions, Tonia expanded her
repertoire by forming an award-winning ad agency and later the management
of a visual arts center. During this time, frequent travel to most of the
world¹s major art museums, such as the Hermitage, Uffizi and the Louvre,
broadened an already extensive knowledge of art history and further
refined Tonia¹s technique and vision.
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"Tonia, God gave you a great
talent...you have a true sense of beauty and great skill."
John Rattenbury, Co-founder & President, Taliesin
Architects, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Tonia had always considered her fellow man as individual as their
fingerprints which is expressed in her relationship with each of her
subjects. She is able to paint anything but chooses the most difficult.
Each
time she succeeds in expressing a unique personality it is also an
opportunity to paint a spark of God¹s
presence which will last for decades to come.
"It is an extraordinary
experience to watch yourself come alive on canvas and see the response
from your
loved ones."
Merry Michael Krueger, Seattle, Washington
"She did a great job on Donna and
the boys. I wanted to see how she would do with mine. I was not disappointed!"
Danny Arnold, Emmy Award
winning Producer/Director of "Barney Miller"
Los Angeles, CA.
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