Brenda Levert | Biography

	It’s true when they say that you are born into something. I grew up surrounded by art and artists, and like many artists I started at a very young age. My father, Ted Sonne, was an artist and was my lifetime teacher. He introduced me to every media - from water colors, oils and acrylics to charcoals, color pencils and pastels. My formal art education was at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Now I am the designer and the teacher. At my home studio I teach decorative painting and drawing. I also teach at conventions in both Canada and the United States, at tole painting guilds and I have been an instructor at St. Lawrence College. My emphasis is on teaching decorative painting skills, starting with the basics and then gradually working up to intermediate and advanced levels. I do my best to help my students reach their personal painting goals. I believe it is important to learn new techniques at the same time as improving your basic painting skills and developing your own style. I love the painting, the designing, the teaching and the creativity. I hope it gives you everything that it has given to me. Most Recent Accomplishments
	Coast to Coast Creative Arts Convention - 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 A Canadian Decorative Art Convention held annually in Mississauga, Ontario. It offers classes for beginners to advanced, and a great Trade Show that is open to the public ... and Brenda has a booth at the Trade Show! Coast to Coast
	Mid Atlantic Decorative Painting Conference ~ 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 I taught classes at MAD (Mid Atlantic Decorative) Painting Conference, a convention held in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.
	Workshops at Rue Des Beaux-Arts in Joliette, QC - 2007, 2008 May 2008 ... Taught a workshop. October 2007 ... Taught my design of "Arrow". May 2007 ... Taught my "Black-capped Chickadee" pattern.
	Workshop at OVDA Guild - March 2008 Taught a workshop at the Ottawa Valley Decorative Artists Guild in Ottawa, Ontario.
	Sue's Art Gallery February 2007, May 2007 and November 2006 I taught workshops at Sue's Art Gallery which is located in Cornwall, Ontario.
	Craft Shows Heritage Valley Arts & Craft Spring Show - 2006, 2007, 2008 in Cornwall, Ontario at the Civic Complex. Heritage Valley Arts & Craft Christmas Show - 2006, 2007, 2008 at the Cornwall Civic Complex. Prescott Craft Show - November 2007, 2008 in Prescott, Ontario.
	Passion Couleurs - 2005 Passion Couleurs is a Convention and Trade Show that is held each year in Montreal, Quebec.
	Kaswood - 2003 and 2004 Kaswood was a Convention that was held annually in Toronto, Ontario.
	Other Accomplishments
	Coup de Pinceau A decorative painting magazine published in Quebec. My pattern "Chestnut-backed Chickadee" was published in the March 2009 issue, my design "Nuthatch and Butterfly" was published in the March 2008 issue and my design "Female Northern Cardinal" was published in their January/February 2006 issue.
	Tole Treasures 1994 to 1998 Tole Treasures was my tole painting shop that was located in St. Andrews, Ontario. For 4 years I taught classes and sold supplies, then I closed my store and moved into my home studio to allow more time for designing and painting.
	The Quilt of Belonging by Esther Bryan and Friends My small contribution to this wonderful quilt was to paint a colorful miniature ‘carreta’, or ox-cart wheel, for the center of the Costa Rico square. I was asked to copy it from the original larger wooden wheel that was hand painted by a Costa Rican artist.