CAROLYN YAGER has a Master’s Degree in Human Physiology from Appalachian State University. She served more than a decade as an investigator in Neuromuscular Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, specializing in developing a treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. In 1995 she retired from the Food and Drug Administration, having served as Deputy Director of the Division of Anesthesiology, Neurology and Radiology Devices. After working as a consultant to medical device manufacturers for two years, she returned to the Shenandoah Valley to marry her high school sweetheart. They currently reside on 23 wooded acres in Mt. Crawford, VA with their two Labrador retrievers and two cats.

"I began painting in 1995 as therapy during a very demanding time in my life. My art now provides a creative outlet for expression of the peace and joy that I experience daily. My husband supports my artistic endeavors enthusiastically, providing knowledgeable and helpful critiques and going so far as having a large studio built for me."

Carolyn has studied with local artists Nancy Stark and Gerrie Brown and has traveled to study with Mary Todd Beam, Carrie Brown, Don Andrews, Karlyn Holman, Joe Miller, Phil Metzger, Richard Thorpe and Eloise Gardiner Giles. Watercolor is her favorite medium, but she also works in acrylic, collage, mixed media, handmade paper and stained glass.

Her work is displayed by the Silver Bonsai Gallery in Manteo, NC and in Harrisonburg at Joshua Wilton House, the Frame Factory, and the Taste of Thai Restaurant. Her work has been displayed in juried and non-juried shows, and she was Best-in-Show Winner at the 2008 Shenandoah Valley Watercolor Society exhibition.

She is a member of the Virginia Watercolor Society, the Central Virginia Watercolor Guild, and is President of the Shenandoah Valley Watercolor Society. She may be reached at PO Box 37, Mt. Crawford, VA 22841, 540.234.9516.