Duenne Schlarman is working on her Master of Fine Arts degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) with an emphasis in painting. She previously taught art in the public school system for 21 years, where she received the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award. She received her Bachelors of Fine Art (BFA) from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2000. She received her Masters of Science (MS) in curriculum development from SIUE in 2013. Her passion for creating and teaching is always present. She currently lives in Edwardsville, IL on Holiday Shores Lake with her husband and two children where they love boating and skiing.