Hello! My name is Gretchen Scheidt. I am an artist, painter and photographer living in Sioux Falls, SD with my husband, two children and three dogs. We also have a historic home in Fort Worth, TX and spend as much time down south (especially in the winter) as we can. I am a connector, typical “type A” personality, middle-aged woman who loves spending time with my family, friends and dogs, but also doesn’t mind some alone time to recharge my battery.

I have a bachelor’s degree in mass communications, a minor in marketing and a love for all things creative. After college, life took me in various directions, both physically and professionally. However, there has always been one common element in every professional opportunity that I have pursued. That common element is CREATIVITY. From graphic design to interior design, portrait photography to painting, and everything in between, I enjoy expanding my knowledge and skills in all things creative through hard work, dedication, education, and practice.

I am a self-taught artist who has experimented in various styles of painting and expression, but I have found my true fit in nature and realism. My main artistic focus tends to be on leaves, however I do stray from that subject from time to time, but I always find my way back to them. The connection between changing leaves and humans is both literal and metaphoric, symbolizing life’s cycles of change, renewal, and resilience. Ultimately my leaf paintings are about transformation and finding beauty in the imperfect.