Southwestern artist Brenda Schodt specializes in hand painting glass ornaments, stone plaques, Saltillo tiles, canvas, and wall murals, but in the past, she has also hand painted furniture, T-shirts, and custom stationary. A graduate of Arizona State University’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program, Mrs. Schodt was one of a handful of ASU art students handpicked by the professors to participate in the Spring 1985 Graphic Design Workshop. Upon graduation, Mrs. Schodt used the experience she garnered in college to establish herself as custom hand painting artist, and in 1997, Brenda Schodt fulfilled her dream of owning her own business by founding Southwest Ornaments, LLC, which formerly operated under the name Delicate Designs.

Through Southwest Ornaments, Brenda Schodt sells her one-of-a-kind, hand painted glass ornaments depicting southwestern and traditional Christmas scenes. She also designs and paints custom ornaments for companies, weddings, and holiday parties. To date, Schodt has personally created over 75 original designs. Mrs. Schodt spends the majority of her year designing and painting all the ornaments for her business, and during the pre and holiday season, Schodt sells the ornaments to gift shops across Arizona and participates in countless juried art shows. This year, Brenda Schodt will appear at The Tempe Festival of the Arts in Tempe, Arizona; Fountain Hills Festival of Arts and Crafts in Fountain Hills, Arizona; and the 4th Ave Street Fair in Tucson, Arizona.

Painting isn’t just her job, it’s also one of Schodt’s favorite pastimes. She hand painted a chess, checkers, and backgammon board on her cocktail table, and the colorful, multi-functioning furniture piece has afforded her family and friends with hours of fun. Beyond entertaining herself and others, Mrs. Schodt also enjoys using her art to help others. She consistently donates a number of her hand painted ornaments to worthy charities, which silent auction her ornaments to raise much-needed funds for supplies, equipment, and research. In August 2007, Mrs. Schodt was also honored to contribute her time and talent to the Tempe Police Department by painting a mural at its new Traffic Bureau as an expression of her gratitude to the servicemen and women who protect her community.