ABOUT THE ARTIST

Born, raised and a resident of northern Illinois near Chicago for most of her life, Valerie Connelly retired from teaching French Literature in 2005 and now lives in Cookeville, Tennessee. Valerie owns a successful publishing business, is a radio talk show host, and continues to paint, compose music and spend time with family. She is currently a member of the UPPER CUMBERLAND ARTS ALLIANCE, and  ART PROWL.

In the mid-90’s she opened BlockArt Prints, Inc. where she designed custom cards in the medieval tradition of hand-carved images. Clients included the Peace Corps, Lincoln Park Zoo and Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, and many small and medium-sized businesses in the Chicago area.

A STRANGER IN THE WILDERNESS

In 1999, she returned to painting, and  while living in  Wisconsin, Valerie’s life-long passion for painting led her to become an active Member of the Cedarburg, Wisconsin Artists Guild. In October 2007, she opened a studio in the Studio Artists Gallery and Café, Mequon/Thiensville WI, where for a period of six months, she produced two or more paintings a week. The Studio hosted a show in May 2008, where 54 of Valerie's works were on display for a month. Sales were good, but the flooding of the Milwaukee River in early June of 2008 forced the Studio Artists Gallery to close, and along with it, Valerie’s studio. As a member of the Cedarburg Artist sGuild, Valerie also participated in the Plein Air painting event and sold her painting Ducks Sunning Themselves at Cedar Creek. Then she joined in the nationally known Strawberry Festival, although a storm blew down her tent. Undaunted, Valerie continued to paint, and in October 2008, the Fattail Gallery in Denver CO included 15 of Valerie’s paintings in a show that ran through November that year.

In August 2009 Valerie moved to the warmer climate of the Upper Cumberland Plateau in Cookeville, Tennessee  where she has joined the vigorus arts community and continues to paint commissions, to illustrate children's books, all the while planning a series of paintings of the natural beauty in Tennessee.

Valerie’s original paintings and commissions are available for purchase by contacting her directly via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and can also be ordered as prints by PHOTOINK on Satin Canvas, printed on the Epson Stylus Pro 9880 with Vivid Magenta Chrome Inks.