DAILY JOURNAL Your Home Inside and Out / Spring 2007 11

By Paul HoffmanHome editor

Teresa Veach comes from avery artsy family. As a child,she watched very little

television. Her parents — Tom andSharon Gollmer — insisted thattheir four daughters and one songet involved in a lot of activitiesand become well-rounded.

So, Veach learned how to sew,cook and draw at a young age. Shewas also involved in all sorts ofsports as well as 4-H growing up inthe small northeastern Indianatown of Auburn.

Her high school’s salutatorian,she went to Taylor University withthe intent of becoming a mathteacher. But she started taking artclasses, too, ended up with a doublemajor in math and art and woundup teaching art at BrownsburgHigh School for four years.

She moved to Fort Wayne whenhusband Rick got a promotion andhad three sons in five years.

She started painting murals as astay-at-home mom and didn’t getserious about it as a professionaluntil about six years ago.

“I was painting my kids’ room(full of frogs and bugs) and said tomyself ‘I love it. I should do this.’”

The owner of Artistic Designs byTeresa, She has painted for clientsall over Johnson County as well asGreensburg, Columbus andGreenfield … basically within anhour radius of her home inShelbyville.

Faith mattersShe said her faith plays a big

part in her business. “I’m blessed,” she said. “There’s

a lot of people with talent whodon’t get work. I’m very gratefulfor my talent. Every time I go to ajob, I say ‘Thank you Lord for the

opportunity to work for thesepeople.’”

One of her most interesting jobshappened to come at a church.

“Every spring, I pray for a realcool job,” Veach said.

Last year, Holy Trinity CatholicChurch in the near-Westsidesection of Indianapolis, asked herto do all the ceilings of the church,and some other jobs, as part of itscentennial celebration.

Veach painted sky on all theceilings, 70 feet above the floorusing a painter’s scaffolding. Shepainted the archways into thechurch. There were also the 12apostles done by an artist maybe50 years ago and the plaster wascrumbling. She was able to fixthem by using a base product thatwas like glue and healed thecracks.

The job took three weeks (shehad counted on it taking five).

“It was awesome,” she said.

PHOTO BY CORRESPONDENT MARK FREELAND

Teresa Veach, owner of Artistic Designs by Teresa, is a formerhigh school art teacher who started painting muralsprofessionally about six years ago.

Artist credits talent, faith for her success

“I’m blessed. There’s a lot of people withtalent who don’t get work.”