I am a middle school art teacher and a meditation/mindfulness practitioner. Before college, I had only taken an art class in elementary school. I doodled the comics (mostly Garfield), did NOT draw all the time, and did not have an encouraging family to support my art curiosity.

Somehow, I still went for it…. art school made sure to let me know how far behind in knowledge I was…especially during critique. :p I think it was just this year that I decided I would call myself an artist and I have been teaching art for ten years.

I am finally surrendering to themes reoccurring in my work… skulls, hearts, clouds, crows/birds, flowers, nature, any macabre. Some of these collections are my more recent doodles playing with gouache and watercolor, the Dollys are acrylic painting as I love painting portraits and the last is encaustic collage which I am wanting to explore more of. I just keep exploring materials.

I want to encourage people at every level to keep making even if you don’t see yourself as a maker, creative, or artist. It’s why I am an art teacher for life…to support others, live the process and try out lots of cool art supplies.

Click to view images at larger scale.