My introduction to art was at Stone Nursery School in Ann Arbor Michigan. My nursery school teacher, Mrs. Bigalow, recognized my talent and made sure my mother was aware of it. In grade school, my art class consisted of rigorous still-life drawings and color studies, which I completed with crayons on paper. I bless the art teacher, Miss Morton at Our Lady of the Wayside grade school for laying the foundation for strong rendering skills, understanding light and color that are essential to any artist. As an art teacher, I realized how lucky I was to have this foundation. This was how the masters learned. Later, at Arlington Heights High School, my art teachers, Gary Drake and Fritz Michaelis, furthered my learning which contributed to many awards and a scholarship through the Scholastic Art Awards. I eventually decided to matriculate at the University of Michigan STAMPS School of Art. The outstanding professors provided rigor and expectation, which prepared me for the patience needed to further my skills. I studied graphic design, printmaking, fabric design, weaving, and a lot of life drawing.
I never wanted to be a graphic designer. But I was good at it and let me live in NYC, Boston, Austin, and Chicago. Even so, I always pursued my fine art through studies wherever I lived. I explored solar-plate printmaking with Katherine Brimberry at FLATBED Gallery and Press in Austin, Texas; portrait studies with Marilyn Propp and oil painting with David Gista at the Evanston Art Center. I fine-tune my primary media, watercolor painting, with Irving Shapiro at the American Academy of Art, Pomona Hollenbeck at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, and the Art Student League of New York with Mario Cooper.
I became an art teacher 12 years ago and have not looked back to my previous career. I wish I had done it sooner. I started out at the Catholic Consortium of Lake County grade schools and then completed 10 years at North Chicago Community High School as an art teacher, Fine Arts Department lead, and member of the leadership team. In addition, I enjoyed spending time with young students at Camp Art! in Skokie for three summers. I look forward to bringing all I have learned to the students at East Lake Academy!
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847-247-0035, Ext. 227