Her love of art began as a young child of 7 when she drew Disney characters entered and won art competitions. Encourage by her mother she continued to pursue her love of the arts. She studied Commercial, Medical, and Fine Arts at San Antonio Art Institute and La Villita School of Art in San Antonio, Texas. While studying she taught art to children/adults with developmental disabilities and physically challenged. Upon moving to California Norma received her first career opportunity in the field of art where she worked as an Illustrator with General Electric in their Nuclear Energy Division. Upon moving to Alaska with her husband and son during the pipeline years she continued her work as an Illustrator this time in Public Affairs with the U. S. Dept. of Interior. In addition to her fulltime job in Alaska she worked as a freelance artist under her business name Normagraphics, specializing in murals, brochures, displays, technical/commercial art and illustrations of children’s books on native cultures, and gave lessons on children’s and adult classes.

Courses of studies at Lassen Community College with Debbie Anderson, Ceramics and Adriana Walker, glass design, local potter Isabel Perez-Judge and metal sculptor, Theodore Judge have influenced her most recent art direction in the arts of ceramics and fused glass. Although new in these areas she is already being locally recognized for her multi-cultured hand sculptures masks and ceramic figurines, silver wrapped dichroic glass jewelry and fused glass art.

Most recent accomplishments in Lassen County are the Westwood Agriculture Display, Lassen Capitol Display, Sacramento State Fair Display, Bilingual Brochures for Department of Health and Human Services, window paintings and designs for other local businesses. Using her first language in Spanish she has used to her advantage and is currently self employed in Susanville as a Consultant/Bilingual Interpreter and continuing her love of the arts and education.

Norma says she has an appreciation for all medias of art and could not have stayed an artist and continued her pursue of the Art without the support of all her family, friends and artist in the Lassen community.