” Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
Before coming to the Co-op I had been focusing on making art, mostly portraiture. This work involves getting to know the people I paint, how they think and feel, and what makes them tick. This is also what I love about teaching kids; seeing who they are and who they are becoming, as well as helping them to see others. Something that astonishes me, in teaching, is witnessing magical moments when learning happens, when the student lights up and they ‘get it.’ It is doubly delightful when the learning has been hard won.
While being a practicing artist and involved mother of two, I have taught art to children, adults and seniors in workshops and afterschool, led a girl scout troop for 8 years and volunteered in my kid’s classrooms and for Literacy Volunteers. I was the assistant for an undergrad Painting class while pursuing an MFA in Studio Art at Montclair State (2016). For the last few years, I have volunteered as an after-school tutor for 3rd -5th graders. My undergrad studies were in Math, natural sciences and Art. I have a graduate degree in Computer Science and worked as a systems analyst before having children.
