Tell us a little bit about you and your background.

I graduated from Montclair State University  with a degree in Animation/Illustration but I like to work experimentally with different materials. I am currently pursuing a masters in clinical psychology with a concentration in Art therapy. 

What attracted you to work at One River School?

I’ve worked in customer service for a very long time but was given the chance at One River to use my art and communication skills in education. I had taken the summer after graduation to rest a bit and was notified by a friend that One River had a need for digital teachers. After working jobs that did not require artistic skills it seemed a good fit. I had also had it in my mind then to work towards going back to school and knew it would be a great growing opportunity to work with various groups of learners.

How would you describe what it’s like to teach here?

I would say not a single day has been the same working here. I’ve taught a few projects by now many times over but have always come back with a fresh pair of eyes. I am always consistently surprised by my students and the talent of the other teachers as well. Seeing people fall in love with the art process over and over again has reminded me daily of why I make art for myself.

What has been your favorite project to teach and why?

This round of show projects have all been my favorite. It’s a combination of seeing all the students’ growth and the projects themselves being fresh that made me very happy. Particularly with teen digital and the sentimental splash page project, I got to see students work at being intentional in the emotional factor of their pieces as well as seeing them lay out their happiest memories. Students who were apprehensive, or had too many ideas found the best composition to convey their ideas and it was lovely to see their visions come together after many many many sketches and exercises.

Is there a special One River moment that stands out for you?

We had an artist exhibited at our gallery whose work was bright and exciting to my students. I was able to take them into our gallery space and have them do color studies of these pieces and apply it to their own work. They worked on the growth patterns project which stumped them in its abstract nature. When they were able to look at the hidden patterns of our artist I could see their gears turning and they began to enjoy abstraction, something many adults tend to overlook.

What do you enjoy outside of One River?

I like to find creative ways to be active and outside as my medium is naturally desk bound. While I do enjoy running and dancing, I try to do new things like roller skating or canoeing. At home I like to create art with an ongoing story and to animate with pancake mix (check it out). I like to play video games that are less intense like Minecraft, Stardew valley, and Mysims.