People are always surprised to learn that I have been painting less than 10 years. Truthfully, I was not the creative one in my family. My brother David is an excellent artist. He won awards in school for his drawings. I never had much interest in art as a kid. I was more drawn to sports and music.

I think my creative side came out after stumbling across various craft shows on television. Military spouses learn to fend for themselves pretty quickly, and I was looking for something to keep me busy while my Sailor was out to sea. I happened to see a sign at a local craft store advertising classes for Basic Painting Techniques and decided to sign up. The class was taught by a fellow Navy wife, and we hit it off. I took quite a few classes with Colleen, and I thank her for bringing out the artist in me.

Once I learned to paint, there was no stopping me. If it didn’t move, I painted it. I started out painting things for my home. As I gained more confidence, I painted items as gifts for friends and family. Next thing I knew, I was getting requests from neighbors and co-workers to paint gifts for their friends and family. With the encouragement of these friends and neighbors, I decided to start selling at local craft shows and Farmer’s Markets.

In March 1999 I was laid off from my job due to downsizing. Initially I felt this was the worst thing that could happen. Luckily, I realized quickly that it was a golden opportunity. Due to the lay off I was eligible for a Worker Retraining Program which allowed me to go back to college to learn a whole new trade. Rather than just brushing up on my office skills, I decided to learn how to design web sites. I was able to combine my education with painting to start my online business, Wendy’s Whimsies – Hand Painted Gifts. My website has allowed me to reach customers far beyond the local craft venues. As a result, I have artwork displayed in nearly every state in the US, as well as a few countries around the world.

I love what I do and I hope it comes out in my artwork. Painting is therapeutic to me and I hope my pieces bring joy to the people who receive them. I love to work with people to create one of a kind, custom pieces, so if you are ever in need of a special piece of art or an unusual gift, please stop by my website. I look forward to meeting you!

Welcome to the blog for Wendy's Whimsies Hand Painted Gifts. From time to time I will be posting some thoughts and experiences about running an online business. I get to meet a lot of people through my website and I always enjoy helping them find products to make their homes more beautiful.

My name is Wendy Yorges and I am a proud Navy wife. I have been following my Sailor around this country for 15 years and have seen quite a few places I may not have had an opportunity to visit if it weren't for the Navy. Since we move frequently, starting an online business was the way to go for me. Having my own website allows me to "set up shop" wherever the Navy sends us. Running my own business also keeps me busy when I am flying solo during a patrol.

Please feel free to visit Wendy's Whimsies Hand Painted Gifts and post a comment about what you think. I am always looking for constructive suggestions on how to make my site easier to navigate. If you have an idea for new products I would love to hear those too. Thanks for stopping by!

Wendy