By Bonita Wilborn
Mountain Valley News and North Jackson Press would like to introduce our new Graphic Artist, Paula Oliver. Paula comes to us after former Graphic Artist Amie Martin left to take another job.
While we wish Amie well in her new position with the Girl Scouts of America, we welcome the opportunity to work with Paula.
Paula is a 2013 graduate of Sand Rock High School. After high school, Paula chose to continue her education at Jacksonville State University, where she took four years of Graphic Design and graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design in December of 2018.
Paula is the proud owner of two dogs; a small Pomeranian named Isabella and a Collie mix named Lassie. She is the daughter of Scot and Patti Oliver, and they all live in the Collinsville area.
Paula has a heart of service as she volunteers with the Black Creek Volunteer Fire Department near Gadsden. She embellishes their T-shirts with various designs relating to the Black Creek Volunteer Fire Department through her screen printing side-business. In addition, Paula helps with Vacation Bible School at her church, New Bethel Baptist, where she teaches the music and motions to the attendees. She also serves as a chaperone for the Lookout Mountain Baptist Association Youth Retreat.
Associated with the Sacred Harp genre of music, Paula is often involved with the Lookout Mountain Sacred Harp Singing hosted at Pine Grove Primitive Baptist Church near her home and normally helps out at the Sacred Harp Singing Camp.
Paula added, “I also do some wood-burning items and whatever my mom volunteers me to do. Mom does many community service projects with our church and the Black Creek Fire Department, where my dad is the Assistant Fire Chief. So, I basically do what she tells me to do.”
Paula’s hobbies include reading books in fantasy and science fiction such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, etc. She enjoys role-playing video games like Dragon Age, Pokémon, and Dungeons and Dragons. As a contrast hobby, Paula also enjoys occasional time crocheting, not professionally but rather for its joy.
Additionally, Paula enjoys painting in the genre of watercolor. She added, “I took a class in watercolor in college, and I really liked it.
I also do some Relief Block Printing (Linocut). That was also a very fun class I took in college.
Some of Paula’s duties at Mountain Valley News and North Jackson Press include laying out the newspaper for printing, layout, and design of our various magazines, researching news items, photography, and working with our Facebook and Website.