About Stephanie

I was born in Rutland, VT, where I lived until the 4th grade. It was then that my parents divorced and I went to live in Sarasota, FL with my mother and younger brother. I struggled through my attempts to find a major in college (after having to give up my dream of becoming a veterinarian because I developed allergies!). It wasn't until 2003 that I finally graduated, and it had absolutely nothing to do with artwork, I'm sorry to say. I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics.

I married the love of my life, Joseph Shimerdla, in 2002. We had a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony within Selby Gardens in Sarasota, FL, at sunset and looking out over the waters of the bay. Joseph began his service in the US Military after graduating from West Point in 1998. Since then, I have been following him all over the world, including South Korea.

It was in South Korea, in fact, that I rediscovered my artistic talent. I had always loved drawing and painting as a child and throughout high school, but had never considered it for a career. While in South Korea, thousands of miles from everyone in the world that I loved except one, my artwork was a way to express my feelings in ways that words never could.

And so, an artist was (re)born.