Bio

Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona (1967), Valerie McMullen was influenced by art and creativity at a very early age.  Her father was a talented watercolorist whose detailed paintings of tropical birds and flowers provided an early inspiration.  In high school, her art teacher encouraged her to develop her drawing and painting abilities and upon graduation she continued her education in art.  In 1991 she graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art.

A future career path as a flight attendant for American Airlines enabled her to travel to many cities both foreign and domestic.  She was able to view firsthand the artworks of many of the great masters she had studied while in college.  After meeting and marrying her husband, Jody, it was he who encouraged her to pursue her passion for painting and watercolor. Valerie once again picked up the brush and began to create art.

After taking many classes and painting traditional watercolors it was a workshop with noted Pennsylvania artist Nessa Grainger that led her to a new outlook.  In this workshop Valerie was exposed to mixed media and collage which she employs in her works today.  Since relocating back to the Southwest, she continues to pursue her artistic training by attending such local schools as the Scottsdale Artists’ School and workshops with many talented instructors such as Stan Kurth and Timothy Rees.  Valerie McMullen is a Signature Member of the Arizona Watercolor Association and a Juried Member of the Arizona Art Alliance.