What classes do you teach? Talk a little about them and why you are excited to teach them.
I teach a watercolor pencil class for 3rd-6th graders. Watercolor pencils are like colored pencils except for one, fun little twist: their pigment becomes paint when water is added. I am excited to begin teaching this particular class because watercolor pencils are fun to work with and they are fairly forgiving once you get the hang of them. They can be tricky, but they can produce some beautiful pieces of art.
How did you discover your passion for art?
I have always had an interest in art, even from a young age. When I was little, I would often draw the characters from certain TV shows I would watch and I always found art to be fun and relaxing. As I entered the middle of my high school years, I began to study art a little more seriously and began to consider an art related career. I took some art classes that I attended Meramec college, which is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design when I finished high school. I graduated with honors with an Associate of Fine Arts degree. Despite the credentials, I’m still an artist at heart. I like to have fun with it and I believe that anyone can become good at art if they set their minds to it by practicing. My art teacher motto is that every artist is at first an amateur. It takes years to get skilled at art, and you never reach a point where you have “arrived.” You will always be improving.
What’s your favorite medium of art to create/observe?
My favorite mediums to use are prismacolor markers and colored pencils. My favorite art to observe would be tessellations and optical illusions.
What would students be surprised to find out about you?
I have done a front flip off the high dive.
What are you doing during Winter Break?
Mostly working at TJ Maxx in Kirkwood as a full-time beauty associate.
If you could take any Berea class, which would you want to take? Why?
If I were to take a Berea class as a student again, I would choose Acrylic Painting through Art History. It can be fun to observe and attempt to copy the style of famous artists throughout history. I might even notice something I hadn’t noticed before the first time I took the class.
What’s your favorite thing to have/bring for lunch?
My favorite food really just depends on the mood I am in. The foods I eat most often are probably pizza and chicken.
What is something you’d like your classes to be famous for?
I would like my class to be most known for being fun. I would also like other students from other classes to see what my students are doing and become interested in art themselves.
Coffee or tea? (or neither?)
I’ll take coffee with my creamer. I really can’t drink any sort of beverage that isn’t water unless it is sweet.
Do you have any advice for students?
Never tell yourself that you can’t be good at art. Everyone learns at their own pace. It is great to be proud of your artwork, but it isn’t the end of the world if you sometimes don’t like it. I look back at some things I did as a student and there are pieces that I don’t particularly like. Disliking one of your own pieces is not only completely normal and ok, but it is also part of growing and is actually a sign that you are improving. When we start finding things we are dissatisfied with in our artwork we can start asking ourselves WHY we are not as happy with it as we would like to be. Once we figure out what it is we do not like about a piece, we can start asking ourselves how we can correct what we do not like or what we should do next time. Remember, every artist is at first an amateur.