Brenda Schodt 
Born in Janesville, WI I would spend countless hours drawing  portraits of family and friends  (especially during the cold winter months) always dreaming of moving west. I fell in love with Arizona tthe moment my taxi dropped me off on University Street at Arizona State University in 1980. Never visiting anywhere west of Wisconsin, flying into Sky Harbor Airport was an amazing experience. I was awestruck by the beauty of an Arizona Sunset. From that moment on I knew I wanted nothing more than to create art of this beautiful state. In 1985 I obtained a degree in Fine Arts from Arizona State University with an emphasis in Graphic Design. I loved drawing all my life but found a niche in painting in the last 25 years.   Upon graduating she worked for the Mesa School District in the Graphic Design Department and handpainteded southwest figurines and ornaments for  local companies and also handpainted on T-Shirts, canvas, custom stationary, saltillo tiles, walls, stationary and just about everything else I could find to paint on.  I currently have my own business called Southwest Ornaments, llc. My work has been featured on Good Morning Arizona and also published in several newspapers throughut Arizona over the last 12 years. You can visit me this winter at various signings and also find my product line in many stores across Arizona. Thanks so much for visiting! Brenda Schodt