Kolene Spicher has been painting almost all of her life. Her mother enrolled her in an oil painting class when she was eleven years old, mostly as an attempt to channel her overabundance of energy. "This will give her something to do and give me some space", her mother thought. Little did either know what seed they had planted. Each Saturday Kolene painted for three or four hours. She usually came back home wearing as much oil paint as was on the canvas! It was great fun and each week she would finish a new picture. Her favorite subject to paint was the ocean. She loved painting the water, the sunset, and palm trees. Raccoons and people were also subjects that were of interest. Most of these early paintings have disappeared.

Kolene went on to paint throughout high school, taking lessons from that same teacher and receiving many awards for her work. After graduating, she went on to secretarial school, believing it was quite impossible to make a living at the arts! After becoming quite bored with filing, she picked up her brushes again and tried her hand at watercolor. It was very difficult and was like re-learning to paint. Painting from light to dark is quite different than painting from dark to light as one does in oil painting. Her favorite style of painting is 19th century reproduction, at which she excels, but she makes a living painting fun, contemporary watercolors of subjects such as shoes, umbrellas, bras and girdles, and nursery items, just to name a few. If it’s a hobby or an item that can be worn, chances are Kolene paints it.

Now published by her husband’s company, her work can be seen in numerous catalogs and her originals are sold at select galleries and stores. She attributes her success to the loving support of her husband, Mark, and their three small boys. After nine years of selling her work, she still strives to be better and greatly appreciates all of the wonderful people who have purchased her work and who give her the encouragement to keep painting.