I was raised in New Riegel, Ohio, home of the “Ribs.” I got started in stained glass
because my husband and I wanted to build on a jacuzzi room. I thought it would be
great to break up the large wall with stained glass, one on each side. I figured I could
do it myself, so I went to Tiffin Glass and Mirror to one of their classes. I was hooked,
so I drove to Franklin Art Glass in Columbus and they set me up! I came home with a
grinder, tools, glass - you name it! I set up everything in my basement and built two
windows. After a lot of turn of events, I moved to Hilton Head Island and started
working at Mackey Glass. We designed and built front doors with side lights and
windows. I was there for five years, raising my daughter Amy. We moved back to New
Riegel because my mom had dementia. I set everything up in my garage then it ended
up strewn all over the house. I heard about The Arts Garage and thought it would be
great to put my 30 years as a hobbyist to be with other artists.
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The Kelleys:
Linda Kelley
Born and educated in Cleveland, Ohio, I had access to supportive art teachers and
inspirational, reputable institutions. Dan Mihuta was my third grade art teacher. He
stood as an exemplary mentor, recommending me for an art program held at the
Cleveland Museum of Art for elementary students. In third grade, I had opportunities
that exposed me to great paintings and historical perspectives.
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At The Ohio State University, I redirected my focus to education. Even though I
enrolled in art classes, I graduated with degrees in education, eventually focusing on a
doctoral dissertation that emphasized integrating and evaluating the impact of fine art
studies on written expression for gifted students. Currently retired, I have returned to
studying artist expression, predominantly in oils.
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J. Steve Kelley
I grew up in Bucyrus, Ohio, where I began to show an interest in art. I have always
found satisfaction in making things, and have a deep appreciation for art.
After serving three years in the U.S. Army I decided to pursue a career in art and
attended Columbus College of Art and Design, majoring in advertising design with an
illustration minor.
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I worked in the advertising field designing logos and other promotional material and
illustration before deciding to teach art. I taught art to elementary and middle school
students in Columbus, Ohio for 15 years and have been teaching high school art for
the past three years in Sandusky, Ohio.
I have worked in many mediums and genres including graphic design, cartooning and
caricature, painting, drawing and creating three-dimensional pieces. Recently my
focus has been on oil painting, in studio and plein air.
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In 2007 I took a fused glass class. This is a process where sheet glass is cut into
shapes and fused together by melting them in a kiln. The fused glass is usually then
draped over a mold and returned to the kiln to be slumped into the shape of the mold
(i.e., bowls, plates, or vases).
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In 2009 I took my first class in Lampwork Glass. This is a method of putting colored
glass rods into the flame of a torch and melting them color-over-color to create
designs. Usually the glass is put on a steel rod and shaped into beads using gravity
and tools. While the glass is hot it is put into a digitally controlled kiln to cool. This is
called annealing, which adds strength and durability to the bead. I taught beginner
Lampworkering at Third Degree Glass Factory in St Louis.
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In 2014 I retired from my career as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner to move to
Marblehead when my husband inherited East Harbor Fruit Farm. My glass studio
was located on the farm. I've been mostly shaping the melted glass into figures
for Fairy Gardens since moving.
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In 2021 The Arts Garage opened to area artists and I’m now working alongside the
many artists here.
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Dave Ostheimer & Susan Prentice
Dave Ostheimer
My name is Dave Ostheimer. I was born in and have always lived in Sandusky, Ohio.
My first experience with art was as a young boy just hanging out at home. In high
school I took two years of Commercial Art class. Having never had any formal
education after high school, I sought out new techniques in magazines and a lot of trial
and error. I started to paint signs for friends and businesses around town in my junior
year of high school. Since then, I have excelled in airbrush, pencil, watercolor and ink.
I have been working at LEWCO, Inc. for the last 40 years as my day job. In 2017, my
wife, Sandye, and I started our business, Ostheimer Grafix, LLC. Having painted on
nearly everything from paper and cars to people, this is a true passion I will never
quiet, until my time is complete.
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Susan Prentice
Hello, I'm Susan! I am a sunrise, sunset, wildlife, travel, street and urban decay, the
occasional wedding, family and senior photo photographer and ... a work in progress.
With all that being said, in one long-winded breath, photography has been a lifesaver,
a creative outlet, and a passion of mine.
I​ am Cleveland born and Sandusky bred, with a short ten-year stint in New Jersey.
Now, I know what you're thinking - New “Joisey” - land of the Sopranos and
smokestacks. You're not wrong, but I lived on top of beautiful Bear Mountain in
Passaic County, just 45 minutes outside of Manhattan. What a gorgeous view of the
city as you drove down the mountain! I spent a lot of time in Manhattan, where my son
did commercials. Full of hustle and bustle, life and opportunity, and always filled with
interesting folks – this is where my love for people-watching and street photography
began.
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I am an x-ray technologist by trade (even my career choice included photography) with
a mid-life addition of a diplomate in addiction in 2002. I put that on the back burner, but
little did I know why, or where, that would lead a few years later. As it often does, life
threw me a giant curveball when I lost my only son, Christopher, to an overdose. Life
as I knew it ceased to exist. I struggled for quite some time and needed an escape
from the daily crushing grief, but also a way to honor Christopher's life and help others
and their families in the same desperate situation. I started talking to anyone I could –
city, county, and statewide – who would listen. We needed to do more – more
treatment and more guidance for families. So, in 2014, Rob Quinn and I formed a
nonprofit organization and, with a generous grant from the State of Ohio, we
purchased eight condos and 13 acres of property in Vermilion. In 2015 we opened
Genesis by the Lake, a 32-bed facility where women in recovery and their children
could live in sobriety. It remains in operation today.
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I currently can be found in my husband Steve's chiropractic office as office manager or
spoiling my four adorable grandkids, who can do no wrong.
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I never pass up the opportunity to meet new people and try new things. Enter The Arts
Garage. I am excited to be part of this wonderful community of talented people. It has
been said if you keep learning, you will never grow old. I recently started dabbling in
painting under the guidance of a very talented teacher and friend. I have learned that
art, in its many forms, is an outlet of mine. It's where I can bring things I see and
experience to life. Being behind the lens allows me to see things differently. I love
exploring new places and trying to soak in life as it is, always searching for the details
that go unnoticed by the typical fast-paced life we live. I've learned to slow down and
appreciate the art of creation that surrounds us. In the words of Soren Kierkegaard:
“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward."
​
I was born in Fostoria, Ohio and now live on Catawba Island. I began some oil, mural,
and sign painting in my teen years. But this was short-lived to concentrate on studies.
​
After high school, I earned an Electrical Engineering degree, then a few years later an
MBA. After this time, I became heavily involved with international business travel for
over 30 years of my career. This put any thoughts of painting on hold. Since my early
days of painting it has been almost 50 years until I started painting again. In 2019 it
rekindled with my involvement painting an outdoor Lake Erie sunset mural which
inspired me to focus on painting again in early 2020.
​
Retirement will allow my concentration for painting many more portraits, Lake Erie
boats/landscapes and landmarks, plus portraits of family dogs and cats. Mediums
available are watercolor, acrylics, and oil paint.
​
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If you had asked me what I would be doing in my 50s, I probably would not have
imagined I would be a full-time artist.
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I graduated with a degree in landscape horticulture from The Ohio State University. My
landscapes had an artist's flair, and I made my living while raising my children with my
wife. We had a vacation home in Port Clinton and spent summers on the lake.
But after years on the job and several injuries, I decided to trade in shrubs and grass
for modeling clay. A local sculptor encouraged me and gave me my first block of clay.
Some time after, my wife was offered a position in Port Clinton, and we decided to
move to the area full-time.
​
I started sculpting using pictures of my family, pets, celebrities and anatomy books
before moving on to work with models.
My works have caught the attention of local artists groups as well. In the 2012
ArtPrize, I placed in the top 100 of 1500 artists from around the work with my "Captain
and the Kid" piece. The Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council purchased "Captain
and the Kid" and displayed it in Friendship Park in the heart of downtown Port Clinton.
My water-feature piece "UPlifting" took third place at ArtPrize in 2013.
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My full-size bronze sculpture of Ohio State Buckeyes football coach Woody Hayes
titled "First and Ten" was bought by College Traditions, 286 W. Lane Ave. in
Columbus. It's displayed across the street from The Ohio State University's main
campus - where hundreds of people stop to have their picture taken with it.
I trust Coopermill Bronzeworks in Zanesville to turn my clay pieces into bronze
statues. They make a wax mold of the statue and then cast it, creating a piece of art
that will last a thousand years. The bronzing process usually takes about three
months, so often if a part of a piece is done, I will go to Zanesville to recycle the clay
for a new piece.
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I am so excited to be showing my work at The Arts Garage and in Port Clinton! My
debut exhibit was a bit of a retrospective introduction to my work and my process. My
hope is that you will enjoy the art from a distance and then get drawn in by the details
as you step closer. The artwork will reveal itself in layers that may not be instantly
noticed.​
I grew up on the shores of Lake Erie, and this island area has long been a source of
inspiration to me. In an ongoing series of work, I enjoy painting the subjects I have
seen while walking along the lake shore or while paddling my kayak on the inland
waters.
​
I have studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Kent State, Ashland University,
Cleveland State University, and Bowling Green State University. I have shown my
work in a variety of juried exhibits and group shows, and have won numerous awards.
A big thank you to the Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council for allowing me to share
my work and for providing me with a place to set up a summer studio to make more
art!
​
I have been a long-time, seasonal resident of the local community. My wife Linda and I
moved to Marblehead from Colorado Springs, CO. While in Colorado, we owned and
operated an office products and printing business.
​
I spent my early years in the Midwest, having lived in Iowa and Nebraska. I grew up in
a family-owned printing business, where I developed an interest in design and graphic
arts. I studied Business Administration and Art at the University of Nebraska.
Over the years, I have worked in several mediums, with a primary interest in creating
colorful abstract paintings. With a strong belief that the impact of some works are
highlighted by their presentation, I have developed an interest in framing and matting.
In many cases, the way a piece of art is presented and accented is critical to the way it
is perceived by the art lover.
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I am excited to be part of the Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council and The Arts
Garage community, where great people with a passion for beauty and creativity share
a commitment to building a better Port Clinton.
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While my husband and I were vacationing in Arizona in 2006 I became bored just
sitting in the desert. I heard of a One-Stroke painting class at a Michael's in Yuma and
decided to try it just for something to do. When I returned to Ohio I found that Donna
Dewberry was conducting a course in Cleveland teaching her One-Stroke techniques.
After taking her course I received her teaching certification. Since that time I have
taken oil courses from Priscilla Hauser and Dorothy Dent in both florals and
landscapes and received their teaching certifications as well.
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Other art teachers I have studied under were Jim Dickens, who developed an acrylic
technique painting with a brush in both hands, as well as Bill Kufahl, a well-known oil
portrait artist.
​
I am an active member of the Port Clinton Artist's Club and the Greater Port Clinton
Area Arts Council. I have won awards in numerous art shows but my true love is
teaching art and sharing what I've learned. In the past I've taught art classes at Pat
Catan's and my art gallery and teaching studio in Marblehead, but now I am teaching
art classes using acrylics and oils in my home studio on Catawba. If you'd like further
information about my Artfully Done painting classes just email me at
artfullydone@ymail.com or call me at 419-341-0817.
​
I am a firm believe that the Lord has given each of us a talent of some kind. Some just
don't realize it until later in life. I was in my early 60s before I ever held a paintbrush in
my hand. Looking back, it amazes me that I am where I am today, all because of being
bored while sitting in the desert one day while on vacation 16 years ago.
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