About
I offer art classes and private lessons for all ages that are designed to teach art techniques and inspire exploration through a variety of art mediums. Designed for creative and eager artists, our objective is to give students the tools they need to be able to create a lifetime of fearless creativity.
Our classes are rooted in fine art principles and encourage individual expression. We provide exposure and inspiration to a wide array of hands-on learning, including painting, drawing, collage, 3D sculpture, construction, and other one-of-a-kind crafting and mixed media art making!
I love creating and love sharing my love of art with others.
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Reviews
D.F.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
From the beginning to end, you will be guided through the process of drawing or painting either from still life, provided reference photos, or your imagination. I will give both demonstrations and one-on-one guidance, so you will easily be able to follow along the process of creating your art peice. I will explain techniques and help you choose colors that will make your picture really come alive.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Graduated with honored from Kendall College of Art and Design with a B.A. in Illustration.
I have been teaching art lessons to kids and adults for 10 years.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
For class series (classes that meet once a week for multiple weeks), prices are between $18-$28 per class depending on the lenth of the class. Class series are 1-2 hours a week and meet between 6-12 weeks depending on the class. Payment is by the month, although other arragements can be made.
One-time group lessons are also available. Contact for pricing.
Private lessons (just yourself in the class) are $45 for an hour and a half.
I also offer a referral discount of $10 off all referrals!
How did you get started teaching?
As surreal as it sounds, I started teaching art when I was 15-years-old!
Teaching art all started when a family I knew asked me to teach art to their two girls ages 9 and 11. Within a year, the number of students I had tripled and continued growing from there.
Getting into teaching this way is certainly unconventional - but there was something unique about it. As I was only a few years older than my students at that time, I wasn’t just a teacher but a mentor and friend. When I learned something new about art, I shared it with them in a class. We did fun activities, like in this photo we visited the zoo and did field sketches of the animals. Many of these kids and teens I was able to mentor for all four years in highschool and that shaped my perception of art and learning and teaching going forward.
I've grown up since then. My art and knowledge has expounded. My teaching style has involved. Yet, there is something I learned during these years that I've taken with me.
1. How to be a mentor, not just a teacher. Certainly teaching the how-to is important. Teaching knowledge is important. Mentorship - which is experience and support - is just as important, if not more so, especially in today's world. Knowledge is everywhere. You can watch an art video online. That video will not be a mentor - and unless you can communicate with that video, they can’t be a mentor.. Mentorship and all good teaching requires a relationship, which brings me to:
2. It’s all about relationships. Well, yes, such is life. But I mean more than “see you now, see you never.” I started teaching art when I didn’t know everything about art — but I was there to support and help. I taught a some of the same kids art for over 8 years. I’m still in contact with some of my former students. Of course, not every teacher/student will stay in contact that long. It’s not so much about the length of time, but rather, knowing that it can be meaningful. I have far more expertise with art now, but yet, I understand most importantly that teaching and mentoring is about relationships. That can take time, which is why it's “see you now, see you later!”
3. Finally, I teach what I learn and when I teach, I learn. Of course, I was learning when I was in high school, but truth is, I’ve learned things every year since then and that won’t end until my last breath. I could be 150 years-old, and I will still be learning. Yes, you read that right. 150-years-old. I fully intend to become the Merlin of the art world, and I will be apprenticing an art prodigy who can’t believe there was a time that I didn’t have gray hair. Also, I will still be saying “huh, I learned something new today.” But I digress. Point is, it’s all a cycle. You learn something new, you are naturally excited to share it with others and teach it to them. Then when you teach it, you learn something and it evolves. Around and around forever.
I appreciate all my students, past and present for teaching me and shaping who I am.
My takeaway for you? Be a student. Be a mentor. Always learn. Always share. Also… do something unconventional and see where life takes you.
What types of students have you worked with?
I have taught students as young as 2 and as old as 85. I've taught to students who have never done art before and others who have been creating art for years.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
What would like to learn? What medium? What kind of subjects? All subjects? Landscapes? Portraits? And what kind of style? Realistic? Abstract? Impressionist?
What kind of teaching is most conducive for your learning experience? Do you prefer a teacher who paints along and gives step by step instruction? Do you prefer to work independently and have a teacher there to give guidance and help when needed? Somewhere inbetween?