Hazel Pretzer

Hazel began china painting in 1972. She took lessons in San Bernardino from Pam Farrell. When she and her husband, Richard moved to Apple Valley in the high desert, Hazel's painting was put on hold for a time.

Then Hazel, with her sister, Sue, met Betty Pollard in an AOL chat room. Hearing Betty talk about teaching her classes gave Hazel just the push she needed to start her china painting again.

Like many china painters, Hazel's interests and abilities cover many other art forms. She does doll draping (she has two more to do). She enjoys working with ceramics. She has painted in oils, pastels and watercolor. Another enjoyable form of art for Hazel is the decoration of Ostrich Eggs. She has done cake decorating for several years. Sewing has been a life-long love of Hazel's and she also is skilled in needlework, creating needlepoint and pettipoint creations.

But, with all these varied interests, Hazel says, as do many other china painters, that nothing can ever take the place of China painting.

Once she starts a painting, it is hard for Hazel to put the piece down until it is finished. For this reason, she fires fast now. She has lost untold hours of sleep putting on that last one or two more brush strokes

Hazel's enthusiasm for china painting has not waned and she hopes to continue for a long time to come. Her bubbly personality is evidence of her philosophy that life is here for us to enjoy as much as we can.

Click on a thumbnail below to expand to a larger picture of Hazel's painting:

Baby Plate
Baby
Daisy Plate
Daisy Plate

This design is adapted from a birthday cake Hazel decorated for a man in San Bernardino, California, in 1963.
Country Scene Plate
Country Scene Plate

Hazel adapted this scene from some old photos that were taken of her old home ranch near Grass Valley, California. She changed the house from white to dark brown to make it look more rustic.
Double Scroll Country Scene Tray
Country Scene Tray

This is the same scene on a large tray.
Desert Tray
Desert Scene Tray
Hummingbird Platter
Hummingbird Plate
Mug - one view
Stein - One Side

These two photos show different sides of a stein. The designs on the stein are adaptions from scenery seen by hazel in the past.
Double Scroll Mug - Other Side
Stein - Other Side
  Owl Plate
Owl Plate

The background in this painting is from Hazel's memories of Arizona scenery when she and family traveled through that area in the past.
 

If you would like to write Hazel about her paintings,
you can click on the link below to open an email message box:

Send EMail to Hazel Pretzer