Della is blessed with a supportive family, a mean cat (she loves him dearly) and the world's best students.

Della believes that the small part she might play in the process of each student's growth and enjoyment brings her an enormous amount of pleasure and pride.

Della says, "God has given me the gift of teaching. I thank Him from whom all blessings flow".

She has been coloring, drawing, painting for as long as she can remember. From childhood there has been something in her hands to color with.

Della has studied at various times with many different fine art teachers in watercolor, acrylic and oil mediums. She continues to study from the many books published on stroke work, color theory and everything in between. As a decorative painter, Della is grateful for the many wonderful written resources from those who have gone before her.

Della fondly remembers the first day she picked up a little kit that contained a wood surface and pattern for her first decorative painting project. She recalls not being aware that she could just trace the pattern on. Instead she free handed the drawing onto the wood.

Along the way of developing her love for painting and creating, she read an email message by Jill MacFarlane about a local painting chapter. When she attended that first meeting, merely out of curiosity, she found a whole room full of people who had a passion for decorative painting. Thrilled, she joined the chapter. After several years, Della started a new chapter of decorative painters in her own local area.

This new chapter is now in its seventh year. It has grown into a strong group. Della continues to be a very active member of Heart of Pinellas Decorative Artists.

Just prior to starting the chapter she started teaching acrylics as that seemed to be what everyone was interested in at the time. That has led down the road of many different mediums and products.

Della is now an authorized teacher with Genesis Heat set oils. She has also become a distributor for D'uva , heat set and erasable watercolors.

She has been teaching for over 10 years now while continuing to learn and study, for the learning part never ends.

Della has designed Della's Duos which are special brushes designed for float shading.  She got tired of looking for that mop brush and she put it on the end of her brushes. She is very proud of these brushes. They do the very thing they were designed to do.... help everyone float shade easier with better consistently.

Della is also proud to be a Deco Art Helping Artist, a Delta Supporting Artist and an Authorized Genesis teacher.

A few words from Della.

I wish to acknowledge Jill MacFarlane (national teacher and designer) for mentoring me and informing me of all I needed to do to get my brushes to market .

I also want to give huge accolades to Mary Owens internationally acclaimed artist, teacher and designer who took me into her booth at HOOT (Heart of Ohio Tolers) so I could sell my brushes for the very first time.

On my gratitude list are:

1. My students who actually paid the manufacturer to have my name embossed on my first order of brushes.

2. My web mistress, Diane Nicholson, who designed and maintains this web site.

3. My husband George who encourages and believes in me.

4. My Savior Jesus Christ for giving me everything I need to follow my dream.