In 2012, based on her self-taught pastel portraiture, the Scottsdale Artists’ School awarded Tina the first of two merit scholarships and she began working in oil immediately falling in love. And that is precisely what happens to Tina again and again with every face she paints. Savoring every feature, Tina adores each moment of discovering her subject's line and value and like a mother to a child puts every drop of herself into her new works in hopes they will go off into the world and make something of themselves. Tina is a two-time finalist in Scottsdale’s The Best and The Brightest Show 2013 and 2014 and earned a National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society 2013 Best of America Merit Award, 2014 NOAPS Spring Online International Excellence Award and Oil Painters of America Online Showcase Spring 2014 1st Place winner. In the few short months since Tina’s introduction to oil she has studied intently the Selective Start Method described in “Alla Prima” by Living Master Artist Richard Schmid, studied in workshops and/or private lessons with Romel de la Torre, Casey Baugh, Aaron Westerberg, Lisa Gloria and Jeremy Lipking. In the course of her serious pursuit of fine art mastery, Tina has created a small family of private collectors and commissioned clients in Kansas City, Florida, Chicago, New York, New Orleans and London.