ABOUT THE ARTZ DEN, PETROLIA, ONTARIO

TERESA THOMAS – Art is a very important part of life and learning. As a mom of 2 grown boys and 5 international daughters (exchange students), I believe that art is a way to challenge the mind, bring people together, and learn about yourself. My husband and I share creative projects and have our own on the go as well. Our ‘free’ time is taken up by our two large dogs Rigby and Gracie.

I love to inspire people with art and creativity and decided that as a business owner, I could offer a space where people could come to create and learn. Since opening in 2021, The ArtZ Den has expanded from a small storefront to the larger store we are currently in. I asked my friend Deborah to join me in the adventure and our partnership has made for a lot of fun as we both are committed to our business.

We have a passion for offering our community the freedom to be who you are and express that in any art style you want. We encourage people to come out and just be free and give it a try! I look forward to chatting with you and offering you the chance to try something new.

DEBORAH DE BOER – Although I have never considered myself an artist, I have always enjoyed creating. As a young child I remember recycling old cereal boxes into magazine storage boxes. They weren’t pretty, but I was proud of the fact that I had designed them myself.  Being a natural born creative instilled in me the desire to share the love of making projects with my children and the other children around me. I have to admit that my favorite part of children’s worship at church is crafting with the kids! Young minds are so imaginative!

I am what I call a reluctant business owner. After six months of encouraging me, I joined Teresa at the ArtZ Den’s new expanded location and it is where I now spend the majority of my teaching time. The children’s classes are still my favorite, but I can be found teaching the occasional adult class too. It is a joy to watch the faces of the people in our community light up when they have completed a painting or discover that we have just the art supplies they were looking for!

I also enjoy time at home with my husband, with our children (most of whom are grown and have left home for their own jobs and creative pursuits), and our pets. As a family we love to explore God’s creation nearby and around the world. It inspires each of us in our own artistic pursuits!