I have a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts and worked as a graphic designer for many years before returning to school to earn a teacher certification in Art Education K-12. I do a wide range of commissioned work including hand built and painted ceramic tile, paintings and portraits in a variety of media. My personal work includes many different media:
Painting: acrylics, oil and watercolor
Clay: sculpture, pottery and handmade/painted tiles
Printmaking: lithography and screen printing
Metalwork: doorknobs, belt buckles and jewelry
My Teaching Philosophy
I believe that strong basic skills - understanding the elements of design (line, color, value, etc.) and the principles of design (balance, dominance, contrast, etc.) - create the foundation that gives an artist confidence. This confidence lets them know that each design decision they make will reinforce the expressive idea they are trying to communicate. Even very young children can be taught these skills much like they first learn the alphabet, then words, then sentences and paragraphs.
