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• Curiosity, exploration and creativity through visual art making in an organized and well managed classroom setting.
• Skill development supporting use of visual art for self-expression and communication.
• Problem solving through the creative process.
• Creating individually and collaboratively, practicing solo and team design and art making. 
• Learning, using a variety of “intelligences,” including visual, kinesthetic and verbal.

I am a teaching artist who stitches, weaves, paints, collages and gardens. My motto is:  the World is filled with potential art supplies – not to be resisted! I’ve been inspiring diverse students from pre-schools to Universities including public, private, charter and home schools for over 20 years.  My students understand through imagination, problem-solve through process, and achieve confidence through success. I’ve been trained for Kennedy Center and Young Audiences Arts for Learning residencies and was named 2015 Sunburst Artist of the Year.  The Regional Arts and Cultures Council and Providence Medical have awarded me art in education project grants.

Young Audiences teaching artists are committed to inspiring the imaginations of young people and have strategies for working with the complexities of school environments.  Through a variety of ongoing professional development opportunities and a multi-faceted evaluation system, as well as through their experience with students and educators, Young Audiences teaching artists are continually growing as teachers and as artists. 

2D Visual Arts,3D Visual Arts,

K-2,3-5,6-8,

English, 

Fluent, 

Visual Art Incubator (K-8)

Through a variety of 2-D media (watercolor, various drawing media, cut paper, collage) students build skills, explore, and synthesize classroom learning.  Collaborative planning with classroom teachers, focused by big ideas and essential questions, results in explorations of school curriculum and visual art making.  (Scope of project determined by student age and experience).  

Some examples:   

• • Illustrations – imaginary or representational: insects, animals, birds, plants, reptiles, rocks, trees, Portland bridges, cities, machines, houses, and more.
  • Paper math – quilt geometry, tessellation tiles or Kente patterns.
  • Portraits – self portraits, figures from history, imaginary.
  • Mapmaking – geological, historical, weather, migratory or fantasy.
  • Illuminated student writing – drawn, painted, collaged.
  • Balance & symmetry – science, math & art synthesized.

Weaving Connections (K-8)

Using recyclables, fabric, yarn and paper, students create curriculum-based weavings.  Projects can be individual or collaborative and include skill building and creative expression exploring color, texture and pattern.  Often residencies include theme specific children’s literature about weaving / textiles.  

(Scope of project determined by age of students and community resources).

Some examples: 

• • Woven habitats – under the sea, in the forest, under the ground
  • Anansi Tales and Kente Cloth  
  • Navajo or Mayan culture and rugs 
  • Weaving math patterns – digital theory
  • NW Native culture, environment and weaving
  • Weaving the water cycle
  • Textiles in Colonial America
  • The Gingerbread Baby paper woven mural
  • Woven Geometry using warm & cool colors

I offer deep experience integrating visual art with classroom learning in Social Sciences, English Language Arts, Math and Science. 

Examples of past integrations:

Sciences

• • Kindergarteners drew and painted butterfly life cycle phases as they learned about mixing colors.
  • Using cut paper and collage, 6th Graders created innovative weather symbols and maps.
  • 7th graders illustrated invasive plant species using cut paper techniques.

Social Sciences and Social Justice 

• • Fourth graders explored Pacific N.W. Native culture through natural weaving materials and    techniques, then created paper-weaving compositions reflecting their knowledge.
  • 5th grade students created watercolor portraits to illustrate Social Justice figures studied.
  • Through symbolism, collage and drawing, sixth graders mapped Underground Railroad routes.

SEL and ELA

• • Three first grade classes explored the essential question “How do we work together?” while reading “The Day the Crayons Quit” and creating large collaborative weavings with recycled materials.
  • Resource room students painted portraits illustrating feelings: sad, mad, happy, scared, etc.
  • Fourth grade poets  wrote “I Am” poems and illustrated their personal characteristics through collage.

Math

• • Second grade artists explored oil pastel techniques, learned about geometry and perspective while creating imaginary cities.    
  • Using color theory, design and collage, third graders manipulated geometric shapes and ratios to create colorful, class designed, paper “quilts.”    

Space:  Existing Art room is preferred, but can be flexible.  Rolling cart needed if moving from class to class. 

 If painting, a sink with water is required in art/class room.

Sessions:  Many residencies have sessions back to back, but session schedule determined by scope of residency and set at planning meeting.  Scheduling priority order:  (1) Same medium each day, (2) Same E.Q. or content connection each day, (3) Same grade level each day.  Please schedule 10-15 minutes between each class for transition.

Breaks: I charge prep and planning time for breaks other than 10-15 minute transition time and a lunch break.

Travel: I drive and am available for residencies more than 15 miles outside of Portland., I charge IRS mileage rate per round trip for travel outside a 15 mile radius of Tigard, OR. And, drive time longer than 60 minutes round trip, billed at rate of $50 per hour.

Technology: Classroom projector to plug in a laptop, Document camera for artist demos.