Scholarship Winners

Announcing the 2026 Drawn to Art scholarship recipients!

My team and I were blown away by the passion, dedication, and creativity shared in each application. It was truly an honor to read about your journeys and the challenges you’ve faced in developing your signature style.

After much consideration, I’m excited to announce the recipients of this year’s scholarship! Please join me in congratulating:

🎨 Emily Barton
🎨 Christine Allen
🎨 Rosydalia Torres
🎨 Morgan Lau
🎨 Mirela Popescu
🎨 Salma Oseguera
🎨 Dustin McClain
🎨 Marie Zeigler

I wish we could offer scholarships to everyone who applied. If you weren’t selected this time, please know this isn’t a reflection of your talent or potential. I’ll be offering more opportunities in the future and would love to see you in Drawn to Art.

Thank you again for sharing your story with us. Keep creating, keep exploring, and know that your artistic voice matters!

2026 Scholarship Winners

Emily Barton

📍 United States
🎨 Visual Art
📷 @Rmbr2smile


Emily is a creative who finds joy in self-expression through art and writing. As a mother of two energetic, loving boys, she shares art with them through painting and drawing and has rediscovered that creativity is about curiosity, freedom, and joy instead of perfection. She looks forward to bridging her two creative passions — visual art and poetry — through the Drawn to Art course.

"Ultimately, my artistic journey is about growth, self-discovery, and courage. It is about allowing myself to create freely, to evolve, and to fall in love with the process again and again."

Christine Allen

📍 United States
🎨 Textile & Surface Design
🌎 christyallenstudio.com

Christine left the idea of the gallery world behind when she fell down a path of discovery that it was possible to bridge fine art and commercial art. After playing with prints on textiles and learning to create a business plan, she founded a small business selling hand-printed tea towels. She's now looking to expand into the world of fabric, wallpaper and pattern design and is ready to chip away at the goal through the support and structure of Drawn to Art.

"It took me quite some time to realize and admit that I was not interested in showing my work in art galleries. I had a major epiphany at the Museum of International Folk Art in New Mexico looking at the work of Alexander Girard. I felt a jolt of excitement, like I hadn't in a long time. Here was an artist whose work was playful, beautiful, sophisticated, elegant, inspirational and ...commercial. It was design and it was gorgeous design. My goal is to create collections and work with companies to sell my patterns and to forge new ground as to where my designs might land."

Rosydalia Torres

📍 United States
🎨 Illustration & Pattern Design
📷 @rosydaliatorres


Rosydalia has been creative her entire life and has raised three creative children. She's now embracing that it is time to nurture and give permission to her own art. Through spending time drawing daily this year along with completing a B.A. in Art Studies this May, she's looking forward to joining Drawn to Art to continue this journey as she chooses her inner artist.

"I desire to find my signature style and dive fully into achieving everything I dreamed of as a child; greeting cards, fabric, stationary, prints, public art, etc., etc. The sky is the limit!"

Morgan Lau

📍 United States
🎨 Children's Book Author-Illustrator
📷 @greengirlblueplanet


Previously an environmental scientist, Morgan now brings her love of conservation to life in her stories and artwork. She has explored art through digital illustration, watercolor, crayons, colored pencils and surface pattern design. Morgan's sights are set on a goal of creating products with her art as a creative business owner all while having fun making her art.

"I love exploring different art mediums and I think every year I am getting closer to my signature style."

Mirela Popescu

📍 Romania
🎨 Pattern & Textile Design
📷 @mirelapopescu_design


Mirela is an artist from Romania who specializes in hand lettering and surface pattern design. She creates prints that highlight the beauty of everyday life. Her illustration journey began after she had children, and she's fully stepping into her dream to grow as an illustrator and designer. 

"I want to get results in my line of work by having a consistent body of work in the same style."

Salma Oseguera

📍 United States
🎨 Graphic Design
📷 @designedbysalma_


Salma has created art her whole life and currently works as a graphic designer creating packaging, branding, and print design. She's excited to take on the battle of self doubt by diving into her full potential of being an artist.

"I want to feel and own my talent as an artist. I want to be able to say 'Wow, I made that.'"

Dustin McClain  

📍 United States
🎨 Digital Art
📷 @LesDessinsdeDustin


Dustin has made art since he was a child, when he had dreams of becoming a comic book or comic strip artist. He reconnected with the joy of art making through discovering digital art during COVID. Now that he's gained confidence in creating art, he's ready to release perfectionism and develop his signature style through making art that feels like his.

"I want to discover my own style so I can learn to express my own creativity and create something that feels like 'mine'. Through this course, my hope is to build skills that help me be more intuitive in my choices, be a bit faster in my creative process, and lastly to help me build those color palettes that both represent me and the art that I am creating."

Marie Zeigler  

📍 United States
🎨 Children's Book Author-Illustrator
📷 @marievgemroseart


Marie is a multidisciplinary artist and children's book author-illustrator. She has always been creative, and used her creativity for self-expression and self-discovery while navigating the world around her as child. She has built confidence in herself and her voice, and encourages others through the stories she shares through her work.

"Through my various creative pursuits, I explore themes of growth, resilience, and self-expression. My hope is that by sharing my work and my story, I can inspire and encourage others who may have experienced similar challenges."

2025 Scholarship Winners

Diana Cortavarría

📍 United States
🎨 Painting & Sculpture
📷 @dicostudio


Diana Cortavarría is a Peruvian artist and humanitarian whose work explores identity, community, and spirituality. With a background in painting and sculpture, they see their journey as an experimentation to discover how to make art more accessible to all. Diana’s goal is to transform their creative practice into a full-time career, developing a distinctive style that speaks to their vision.

"I plan to use the work created as a catapult to launch my portfolio and apply for future residencies. I plan to network with other artists in the hope that we can all grow together and help each other build a community that uplifts each other. "

Jynette Hayes

📍 United States
🎨 Mixed Media & Visionary Art
🌍 Sierra Mystique Studio


Jynette is embracing her lifelong passion for art with renewed purpose. From performing in plays to hosting an art show, her creativity has always been a way to navigate life’s twists and turns. Now, as the founder of Sierra Mystique Studio, she is dedicated to creating artwork that tells stories, expresses deep emotions, and builds community. She sees Drawn to Art as a stepping stone to refining her skills, finding her artistic voice, and turning her studio into a vibrant space for creativity and connection.

"My dream has always been to have my own art studio—a space where I can create freely, tell my story, and inspire others. Now that I’ve finally launched Sierra Mystique Studio, I want to develop my skills to create more meaningful, professional, and emotionally powerful pieces."

Laura Borner

📍 United States
🎨 Textile & Surface Design



After 26 years in the fashion industry, Laura left behind the fast-paced world of apparel design for an off-grid life in the mountains. Now, she is rediscovering her creativity through surface pattern design, seeking to find her unique artistic voice. Drawn to Art provides the guidance she needs to transition from designing for others to embracing her own style, with the goal of creating a sustainable, flexible creative career.

"I never thought I was artistic, but all my friends and family tell me so, so I think it's time I start believing it myself. My entire career I designed for other brands, and hope Drawn to Art can help me find my signature style that as I understand is so important to stand out in this industry."

Lisa J Michaels

📍 United States
🎨 Illustration & pattern design
🌍 ljmichaelsdesigns.com


Lisa J Michaels spent her career illustrating children's books. However, after years of adapting to clients’ needs, she is now on a mission to rediscover her own artistic voice. She looks forward to Drawn to Art offering the structure and guidance to refine her style, break into the world of art licensing, and create a body of work that reflects her personal vision.

"After decades of illustrating children's books for clients, I am searching to discover my signature style and enter the world of Art Licensing and pattern design."

Nadia Frias Duval

📍 France
🎨 Illustration & Punch Needle
📷 @nanustudiofr


Originally from Argentina, Nadia now calls France home, where she balances studying graphic design with running her own small business. Her passion for illustration and home decor led her to open her own business selling punch needle pieces and other goods featuring her artwork. Through Drawn to Art, she aims to refine her drawing skills, expand her creative confidence, and break free from creative blocks to establish a signature artistic voice.

"My goal is to continue improving my skills so I can sell my illustrations directly to companies and collaborate on creative projects."

Shatia Thomspon

📍 United States
🎨 Mixed Media & Craft Arts
📷 @tiast_ff


Shatia Thompson is an artist, educator, and mom of two with a deep love for creativity. Her journey began with a passion for hands-on crafts, and she continues to love scrapbooking, embroidery and illustration. After spending years teaching in South Korea, Shatia returned to the U.S. with a renewed commitment to her artistic dreams. Through Drawn to Art, she hopes to refine her signature style, build consistency, and create with intention to create art that feels authentically her.

"I dream of teaching art classes, creating craft kits like the ones I adored as a child, and designing papers, stickers, and fabric that inspire others. Once upon a time I thought this wasn't a possibility for me. But creating has transformed me, and I hope to share that joy and hope with others through my work."

Swethaa Chelladurai

📍 India
🎨 Surface Pattern Design
📷 @sillymails


Swethaa is a self-taught pattern designer with a love for playful and expressive designs. From simple doodles to intricate surface patterns, she has spent years learning and growing through online resources. Her biggest challenge has been defining her unique style, as she experiments with floral, geometric, and abstract motifs. Through Drawn to Art, Swethaa hopes to gain confidence, consistency, and the skills needed to craft a portfolio that truly represents her creative voice.

"My goal is to become a skilled pattern designer whose work is recognized and loved. I want to create patterns that tell a story, bring joy, and maybe even inspire others like me who are learning on their own."

Urszula Radwan  

📍 Poland
🎨 Illustration
📷 @brutulula


For Urszula Radwan, drawing has always been a source of joy and relaxation, yet she never fully pursued it due to self-doubt. Now, as she dedicates more time to her craft, she dreams of sharing her work with the world. Drawn to Art is an opportunity for Urszula to develop her skills, overcome fear, and build the confidence to claim her place as an artist.

"My artistic goal is to develop my style, to say out loud that I draw and to share this joy with others, so that others will also have the joy of seeing and using my works."

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Enrollment Opens April 15!