DP News

By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com

Rosemary Hozempa has learned that her painting “Heaven Scent” will become an Easter Seals 2010 Lily Seal.

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Dallas resident Rosemary Hozempa’s design for the Easter Seals campaign has been chosen from an online competition to be printed as one of six stamps this year.

CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST

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The Dallas woman’s painting was one of 11 paintings of lilies up for vote on www.easterseals.com to be featured in the Easter Seals 2010 Lily Seals. Six of the 11 paintings were chosen, including Hozempa’s pink Mystery Lily.

Easter Seals Disability Services is a national non-profit organization that provides services, education, outreach and advocacy for people with autism and other disabilities.

“It is really a huge accomplishment for me as an artist to have this and it is such a good cause that I feel I’m doing something to help out,” Hozempa said.

Hozempa discovered the Easter Seals contest on the internet and created five lily paintings to enter. She was surprised to learn that one of her paintings made it to the voting round and immediately e-mailed the organization to say she is thrilled and honored that her work was selected.

According to Easter Seals, the decorative non-postal seals are mailed to 19 million homes annually with the request of a donation to the organization, raising almost $14 million. Hozempa was told the 2010 lily seals will be released in January.

Although Hozempa is an artist, she has never had an official art lesson. She has operated Rosemary Hozempa Hair Artistry Salon and Gift Shop on Carr Avenue in Dallas since 2003, having obtained her cosmetology license in 1974

She resides with her husband, Charlie. The couple has three children: Chuck, 28; David, 26; and Maureen, 24.

“I really would love to thank my friends and family for all of the support and the voting that they’ve done,” Hozempa said. “I know some of them were just incredible. They were campaigning for me - it was unbelievable. And my customers, but I refer to them as my friends because they are.”