Helen Jeglic is internationally known for her traditional and distinctive style of painting.

She has studied and taught decorative paitning for over 30 years, including classes at regional and national conventions as well as seminars and workshops thoughout the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan.

In 1984 Helen achieved the Master Decorative Artist Certification, awarded by the Society of Decorative Painters.

In 1997 she was awarded the "Silver Palette" for her contribution to the field of decorative art.

She has served as judge for the Certification Program, on various committees and on the Board of Directors of the Society of Decorative Painters, and the DAC Museum. She was also a member of the Board of Editors of Video Quarterly.

Helen is the author of four instructional books, numerous design packets and magazine articles.

As long as I can remember I have loved art - drawing, coloring, painting - anything to do with art. One of my very early childhood memories is how I coveted my friend's beautiful set of colored pencils; I still see it, it was a two-sided box that folded over and closed with a snap. Oh, how I wanted it! I think that was before I learned about: THOU SHALL NOT COVET!

My education and working career were in science and medical technology, nothing to do with art. As a young wife and mother I felt a great need for creative expression and when my son, who was an only child at the time, went to first grade, I signed up for oil painting classes. That awakened my dormant passion for art.

Along with my art classes I also took lessons in Early American Decoration, which really captivated my imagination. I was intrigued by the history and the folklore of the craft; I studied the methods the old tinsmiths used in preparing their tinware and the colorful stroke designs they used to decorate it. I loved it because it was such a uniquely American folk art.

In 1966 I started teaching Early American Decoration to a small group of friends from my Garden Club. When my daughter was born in 1968 I put painting on hold till 1976 when I started teaching decorative painting in a small shop in Lynchburg, VA. That was also the time I discovered and joined the Society of Decorative Painters, then known as NSTDP. The Society has provided a wonderful national and international network as well as fabulous opportunities for painters all over the world. Whole new industries have grown up to supply the needs of painters like myself who had worked in relative isolation before the Society.

When I met master tinsmith Robert Faulkner and his wife Eileen of Picton, Ontario, Canada, it was a meeting of kindred spirits. Robert made some of the finest reproductions of antique tinware; his pieces were works of art before any decorative painter ever touched them. I was fortunate to have his tinware to design and paint on, which eventually led to the publication of my first book OUR COUNTRY HERITAGE, followed by three more volumes.

Over the past 35 years I have been a student, and a teacher, I have had the good fortune of making wonderful and lasting friendships and of visiting many fascinating places. I loved the inspiration I received from my students and the excitement and energy that always flowed in the classroom.

In 1998 a ruptured disc and degenerative bone decease of my spine forced me to retire from travel teaching. Needless to say, I missed it! When I recovered and started painting again I quickly got accustomed to painting for the sheer joy of it without the pressure of deadlines and the stress of travel.

That's where I am today. I enjoy being a student again, taking workshops from well known artists, exploring watercolor, oils and pastels, Whenever I can I paint with a group of local artists who get together once a week and hire a model to pose for 3 hours. I love the challenge of capturing the likeness and character of the model when doing portraits in pastel, and I love to go out and paint landscapes in plein air.

Life is such a bowl of cherries when you have all kinds of paint and colored pencils!