Belen Schneider

It was not until adulthood that I realized life is best lived outside my comfort zone. My past four decades have consisted of raising four sons (now grown with children of their own), owning two restaurants, working as an executive secretary, and 26 years as a legal assistant. I’ve always held a passion for learning. After my sons were grown, I took classes in web design and established an online business. I became a Black Belt in Taekwondo martial arts. In 2015, I retired from my legal career when I married Sean Griffin and moved to Anderson Island. Retirement afforded me the opportunity to pursue additional desires: learning to play guitar and ukulele, and discovering the passion of my life, acrylic painting. “Moon over Mount Rainier” placed Third of People’s Choice at the 2017 Art in the Park, my collection of paintings placed First at both the 2017 and 2018 November Art Challenges, my “Blues Singer” graces the cover of the June 2019 Islander, the new arts journal for Anderson Island, and I hold a monthly “Paint with Esther” class.