About Valarie Love
Born in 1973, Valarie Love was a native to San Diego, California until she moved to Jacksonville, FL in 2004. Throughout her life Valarie has been drawn to the visual arts. Drawing every opportunity she had, as well as participating in school directed art classes. The influence and encouragement of her High School Teacher, Dixon Fish, provided Valarie the opportunity to experiment with a variety of techniques and media. Valarie was awarded with advanced placement into college with a portfolio of her work. She was also given the opportunity to enter juried competitions where were she proved to be quite successful. It wasn't until after high school when Valarie received a box of used oils and brushes from her teacher, and with no previous experience or direction she completed her first oil painting. It only took a year to dry but that is when she developed her passion and enthusiasm for oil painting.
Majoring in visual arts during college and working full time wasn't conducive to her studies or her creativity. After 3 years she decided to focus on her career in Medical Management. With little time to pursue a visual arts career, or gallery showings, Valarie still sold her paintings regularly to private collectors, by word of mouth.
After leaving the medical industry Valarie tried her hand at Natural Manicuring. Working in a salon offered her more contact with the general public as well as a better opportunity to show her work in a public setting. During this time in her life she was able to be more creative, producing brochures, signs, business cards, and advertisements for the salon, as well as dedicating more time to express herself through her paintings.
Tasting more creativity in her life made it easy for Valarie to choose not to return to a conventional job after starting her family. Valarie worked from her home studio in Jacksonville, FL for several years, focusing on inspiring her children's creativity as well as her own.
Currently Valarie works, at The Foundation Academy, teaching art to Elementary, Junior High and High School students. Valarie is still actively painting and showing her work. She hopes through teaching art, she will inspire her students, as much as her art teacher once inspired her.