About Heart Song Gallery

Jean Batzell Fitzgerald
Mulberry, Florida, United States
Wife, mother, grandmother, spiritual searcher (now reading A New Earth by Eckert Tolle), I grew up in Schenectady, N.Y. It was an interesting family, some might say slightly dysfunctional. I choose the word "interesting". I've lived in Mulberry, Florida (between Tampa and Orlando) since 1989 when my husband was transferred from Memphis, TN (I met him in Wilmington, N.C. where I had moved with a fiance - really nice guy but a lot older than me). The following year I had a "miraculous" healing of a kidney stone through a Christmas Science practitioner. That was after I had voluntarily left the hospital that a close friend had taken me to. A few months later met my now husband Jim and a year later we were married. I believe we can choose our reactions but more than that I believe we choose our perceptions based on our beliefs.
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Personal Background with Photos

Born in Schenectady, N.Y., I was the middle child between two boys. Both parents were trained fine artists, graduates of Syracuse University. I also graduated from Syracuse University but not in fine arts because my Dad just felt it was too insecure a way to make a living. But he did well and was listed in Who's Who in American Art and now is listed in Who Was Who in American Art. He was an artist / director for the General Electric Company for 35 years but also taught art classes at our local museum as well as holding workshops in our home from time to time. People have told me he was one of the nicest people they had ever met but he was very shy and sadly I didn't get to know him very well. Both parents were religious and my Dad read scripture at the local prison on a regular basis.

I started drawing and painting when a toddler on my father's knee in his large studio and took lessons one summer at the museum. That was about it except for being allowed to look at art books veerrrry carefully ("kink" was a four letter word in our house and I learned early on how to handle these precious books). The house actually sunk a few inches over the years from the hundreds of books lining the built in shelves in the living room and upstairs in my father's large studio.

After graduating, I married my college sweetheart, became a mom and moved to Boston, Mass. where we lived for six years. I loved that city.

I've also lived in Chicago and Kankakee, IL, Wilmington, N.C. and Memphis, TN. Since 1989, we've lived in Lakeland, FL which is between Tampa and Orlando on the West side. I worked for twenty years at a variety of jobs, always crafting and sewing on the side (even sold a bunch of my hand crafted jewelry several years).

My last "real" job before I quit to care for my mom up North (she passed away in 1994), was for an environmental firm. Then I decided to take the big jump and actually quit my "real" job in 1997 to pursue my art full time on the internet through two web sites - one at Jeans Dog Shop and the other at My Craft Showroom which now has links to a company who puts my designs on their products (over 60). All my "shops" for that company are located at Heart Song Gallery.

I love to read when I get a chance (fiction and non-fiction) and am an avid Oprah fan. Since my former hobbies have now become a source of income, I don't really have any more hobbies except maybe dusting (I'm only kidding a little here.) I also love watching Animal Planet with my dog Paddy who jumps down from the couch and sits up in front of the TV and often jumps up and shuts it off by mistake. My extra-curricular activity is volunteer work at the SPCA very other week and my husband and I also belong to an organization who helps the poor in our area.

I have a son Jordan, daughter-in-law Anastasia and two grand kids - Nicholas and Lauren who live in New Jersey (we're in Florida). I also have a wonderful step daughter Kerrie who lives in California with her husband Jack and became a grandmother for the third time when beautiful Molly, two in December 2007, was born. My husband Jim, an excellent golfer (2 handicap) is one of the nicest people I know. We met in Wilmington, N.C. and we've been married 23 years in 2008.
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