Biography

I have been an artist all of my life, but I am self taught. I've never been to art school. Years ago, when my children were young (I have four), I supported us by drawing or painting anything that I could sell. I had cards made that simply said "S.M. Mohler, Artist." All winter I would paint the things that I knew, wild flowers, birds, etc., on anything that would take the paint (no money for canvas, paper or frames). In the summer I sold them at fairs and festivals, where I passed out my cards. People would call me and ask if I could paint this or that, and I would always say "Yes I can." Then I would learn to do it. This was my art training. If I failed there was no one to give me a bad grade. If I failed, I didn't get paid. This meant no money for food, electricity or new shoes for somebody in the house. I had some really strange assignments, but I always figured out how to do it and got paid. I started working with polymer clay 18 years ago. At that time I lived in NE Ohio. I exhibited work in Summit, Stark and Portage Counties there. I moved to Yellow Springs in SE Ohio 12 years ago. Since that time, I have continually exhibited and sold my work.

• 1994-2004 Annual Women's Voices Out Loud show
  
• 1995-1997 Curated Women's Voices Out Loud show
  
• 1998-2002 Exhibiting member of Village Artisans co-op in Yellow Springs
  
• 1997 Solo exhibit at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio
  
• 1998 Exhibit at Wild Things Gallery in Richmond, Indiana
  
• 2000 Awarded the Ohio Arts Council Grant for individual artists
  
• 2000 Three pieces accepted at 43rd Chautauqua National, at Chautauqua, New York
  
• 2000 Two pieces at Masterpieces of Maturity National in Lexington, Kentucky
  
• 2001 Awarded the Unsung Hero Award in the Arts at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio
  
• 2001 Solo show at the Lanning Gallery in Columbus, Ohio
  
• 2001 Coming of Age Show at the Rife Gallery in Columbus, Ohio
  
• 2002 Waynesville arts fest in Waynesville, Ohio, Honorable Mention
  
• 2002 Masterpieces of Maturity National in Lexington, Kentucky, Best of Show
  
• 2002 Solo show at One Dayton Center in Dayton, Ohio
  
• 2002 Solo show at the Metrolex Gallery in Lexington, Kentucky
  
• 2003 National competition at Truman State University, Kirksville, Montana
  
• 2003 National competition at the Parkersburg Center for the Arts in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Merit Award
  
• 2003 Two pieces in National Artist As Storyteller Show in Lexington, Kentucky
  
• 2003 Featured artist at the Waynesville Center for the Arts in Waynesville, Ohio Arts Festival
  
• 2003 Five pieces in the Appalachian Culture show in Athens, Ohio Kennedy Arts Center
  
• 2004 Two pieces in the "Sense of Identity Show: Contemporary Ceramic Art" at Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Indiana
  
• 2004 Six pieces at Artlink, Handmade Paper, and Small Sculpture, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Feb.-Mar.
  
• 2004 The "Sense of Identity" show moves to Indianapolis University in Indianapolis, Indiana as part of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts 38th annual conference, Mar.-April
  
• 2004 Exhibiting at Remax in Beavercreek, Ohio, May-Sept.
  
• 2004 Solo show at the Fish House Gallery in Waynesville, Ohio May-June
  
• 2004 Solo show at One Dayton Center in Dayton, Ohio, month of June
  
• 2005 Exhibition at Pearl Conrad Gallery, OSU, Mansfield, Ohio