Once upon a time... Fairytales are the most adventurous, fun-loving, awe-inspiring, blood-curdling, type-casting stories ever told. These stories have inspired so many others and why not? All are based on some kind of truth.   Ok, yeah, yea, there are things we don't see anymore, like unicorns, dragons, and big human-sized, talking fish. Maybe we just changed the story of these creatures, adding beauty or fire to make them more awe-striking in our own minds and, thus, the minds of others. Afterall, fairytales were the olden times, much slower, social media. Really, back in the day when stories traveled by horse, wouldn't you be lucky to be a part of a fairytale ready to be told at the next village?  I have been so fortunate in life to be born into a family from Eastern Europe where so many fairytales began. So, I have been blessed to have been given the gift to spin tales of magical beings and adventurous folk for a general audience. Mostly because, thanks to my family, they took me on adventures and allowed me to be me, not imposing too much restraint, but enough to know they loved me and wanted me safe. Follow me on adventures and see yourself in the stories. Come comment on my stories and poems, art and adventure. Tell me about your own adventures and work. You are all my inspiration. 

Leona Marie taught public school for 40 years before retiring. She is an exhibiting artist, photographer, and published author

Grants and Awards
2012 Yale University Writing Conference acceptance recipient for screenplay writing
2009 Kachemak Bay Writing Conference grant award for short story, “Boys Will Be Boys in a No Tolerance World.”
2008 San Antonio Writing Project Grant recipient
2003 Editor’s Choice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Poetry, The International Library of Poetry
2002 JEA (Journalism Educator Association) CJE (Certified Journalism Educator)award winner
2002 American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) and the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Educators Award recipient for First Amendment Rights fellowship study, University of Tampa in Florida, Tampa, FL.
2001 Who’s Who Among High School Journalism Teachers
2000 Who’s Who Among High School Journalism Teachers
1999 People’s Choice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Poetry, The International Library of Poetry, “A Chlld’s Rain.”

Selected Exhibitions
Sept 2025 Multi Person Juried Exhibition, “The Independents,” Corpus Christi Art Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
August 2025 Multi Person Exhibition, “Texture,” Rockport Art Center, Rockport, Texas
July 2025 Multi Person Juried Exhibition, “Coastal Bend Artists,” Corpus Christi Art Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
Nov 2022 Multi Person Juried Exhibition, “Magical Forest,” Fairy Tale Exhibition, Corpus Christi Art Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
March 2021 Multi Person Juried Exhibition, “Pandemic 2020,” “Simply Bubbles,” Coastal Bend Community Exhibit, Corpus Christi Art Center, Corpus Christi, TX
June 2017 Multi Person Juried Exhibition,“Sunflowers,” Independents Show, Art Center of Corpus Christi, Honorable Mention.
June 2015 Multi Person Juried Exhibition, “Visions,” Jung Center Art Gallery, Houston, TX
January 2013 Solo Exhibition, “Love, Love Lost, Love of Life Literary and Art Event,” The Twig Bookstore @ The Pearl. San Antonio, TX.
February 2013 Multi Person Exhibition, “First Friday in February,” Art Story House Gallery House hosted by Marcus Cerda, San Antonio, TX.
March 2013 Multi Person Exhibition, “Project Surrender; Revolution Grrrl-Style,” Starvenomore Art Production. San Antonio, TX.
April 2011 Solo Exhibition, “Bicycles and Butterflies,” Café Latino Art Studio, San Antonio, TX
March 2012 Solo Exhibition, “Romanced by God; Geo-environmental Mixed Media series of Reiki Painting,” International Academy of Music and the Arts, San Antonio, TX.
June 2012 Multi Person Exhibition, “Paris Ballet Series,” Ideat Art Festival, New Haven, CT.
July 2012 Multi Person Juried Exhibition, “French Pyrenees Beach,” Independents Show, Art Center of Corpus Christi, Honorable Mention.
July 2012 Solo Exhibition, “Romanced by God; Geo-environmental Mixed Media series of Reiki Painting,” American Artist Gallery House, Taos, NM.
Nov. 2012 Solo Exhibition, “Romanced by God; Geo-environmental Mixed Media series of Reiki Painting,” The Twig Bookstore @ The Pearl, San Antonio, TX
February 2011 Duet Exhibition, “Valentine Lovers,” Café Latino Art Studio, San Antonio, TX
Dec 2010 Solo Exhibition and debut artist launch, “Redefining the Soul Mate,” The Foundry, San Antonio, Texas

Conference Presentations
March 2023 “The Benefits of Handwriting,” The Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes 13th Annual Pedagogy Conference, Northeast Lakeview College, San Antonio, Texas
October 2016 “The Cognitive Effects of Learning Handwriting” TAEA (Texas Art Education Association) Conference, Dallas, TX.
April 2011 “The Power of Manifesting” La Madeline Community Speakers Series, San Antonio, TX
April 2010 “Teaching Poetry with the Jazz Poets of San Antonio,” Bill and Melinda Gates’ Gateway to College Project, San Antonio College, San Antonio, TX.
August 2001 "Using the Internet as a Teaching Tool" – Teacher’s Workshop San Antonio Independent ISD, Burbank High School, San Antonio, Texas

Publications
Guthrie, Leona M. “Organizing and Grading the Advanced Journalism Staff.” HSJ.org - High
School Journalism from ASNE, July 2002, hsj.org/game-on-journalism-life-skills-
news-literacy-240/.
Guthrie, Leona M. “Advanced Journalism Grading System.” SchoolJournalism.org, July 2002,
www.schooljournalism.org/advanced-journalism-grading-system/.
Guthrie, Leona M. “Point of View: The Three Little Pigs.” HSJ.org - High School Journalism from
ASNE, July 2002, hsj.org/game-on-journalism-life-skills-news-literacy311/.01111
Marie, Leona Redefining the Soul Mate. Xlibris, 2010.
Marie, Leona Gravity Tattoo: Marked by Life. Xlibris, 2011. (Voted Best Poetry in Japan and the
Netherlands, 2012; Barnes and Noble Reading List Summer 2012).

Professional Organizations
Corpus Christi Art Center Member
Rockport Art Center Patron Member
Association of Texas Professional Educators
San Antonio Ladies Empowering Group Founding Mother
San Antonio Writing Project – National Writing Project
Sigma Tau Delta – English Honor Society
Delta Phi Alpha – National German Honor Society
Kappa Delta Pi – International Honor Society in Education
Phi Sigma Iota – International Foreign Language Honor Society