Valerie Vanorden
Portage , MI - United States
Valerie Vanorden - Fine Artist
Member Since: 05/15/2007
Val is available at 269.327.0517 or 269-290-6527, and best Email: either Fancywriter@hotmail.com or Norberrv@gmail.com. Val's DBA is 'House Portraits and Calligraphy' in Kalamazoo, Michigan area. Her other website is www.painterskeys.com under Valerie Norberry VanOrden. Valerie does 'house portraits' in colored pencil - her grandmother got her started doing that. Val does Spencerian Penmanship (pointed pen), as well as italic brush calligraphy. For over 23 years, Val has worked as a medical transcriptionist full-time and did commissions on the side. Now Val works part-time doing medical transcription and still does farmers markets, flea markets, and antique markets, where she does peoples names and meanings in calligraphy in public, and schedules commissions of House Portraits and Calligraphy.
Over twenty years ago, Val lived a year overseas in Deschapelles, Haiti, and worked as an Administrative Secretary at Hospital Albert Schweitzer, from 1988-89.
Val is teaching calligraphy at the Commission on Aging in Three Rivers, Michigan, on Thursdays; COA can be reached at: 269-279-8083.
Val does Three Rivers Farmers' Market on Tuesday afternoons, all summer long.
Honors/Accomplishments:
Russel Seibert Award for medical illustrations at Western Michigan University1975.
Illustrated Animal Zoology at Western Michigan University, by Dr. Gian C. Sud, (c) 1976.
Illustrated eight 40' x 22' leg muscle drawings, one in airbrush, and the rest in pen and ink with conte crayon, for WMU's Wood Hall Science Building Anatomy Laboratory, Western Michigan University, including calligraphy for the labels of muscles (1976).
Illustrated article by Dr. Kuhns, in Journal of Computerized Axial Tomography (1980).
Illustrated midwife drawings in Haiti when I lived in Haiti one year (1988-9).
Painted full-color mural in Schoolcraft, MI, 9 ft. x 12 ft., acrylic/Latex paint (2001).
Taught at the Commission on Aging 3 years, 2006-7 and 2012-13.
COLLEGES ATTENDED and TRAINING:
1) Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, two years, studied graphic design, zoology under Dr. G. Sud, anatomy and physiology under Phoebe Rutherford.
2) Davenport University, one-year, Receptionist-Typist Diploma (with some medical terminology classes).
3) Center For Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan, while working as Secretary to Dean Greenblatt.
4) University of Michigan, Studied foundational art, (while working full-time at University C.S. Mott Children's Hospital).
5) Grand Rapids School of Bible and Music, now Cornerstone College, 2 semesters, studied bible doctrine 1985-86.
6) Kendall College Art and Design, studied foundational art (Color theory, 3-D, and Comic Strip art), 2 semesters, 1990-91.
7) Glen Oaks Community College, Centreville, Michigan, Flora Kirsch Beck Program, five summers from 1998 to 2003: egg tempera under Michael Bergt, oil landscape painting under Stuart Shils and David and Pam Lussier, oil portrait painting under Michael Northrup, and calligraphy under Peter Thornton.
8) Kalamazoo Valley Community College - Intro to Electronic Publishing.
9) Classes in Sume-i from Pat Schafer, who went to the Univ. Chicago, at the Three Rivers Commission on Aging.
9) Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, 2007, 2011, Watercolor under Mary Large and Denise Liesicki, respectively.
10) Summer 2012 at Kalamazoo Institute of Arts in wax colored pencil with Turpenoid under Karen Matson.
11) Winter 2012-13 at Kalamazoo Institute of Arts in Chinese Calligraphy under Ms. Chiu.
