Tell us a little bit about you and your background.

I started painting when I was 18. My dad and his mom were both artists and I grew up surrounded by art. I started with watercolor and quickly moved to acrylic painting when I fell in love with doing decorative art on furniture. I attended Farmingdale State College where I graduated the valedictorian of my class, majoring in Visual Communications. I worked at Hofstra University as a graphic designer for four years and then decided to go into teaching. I started teaching at Farmingdale State College in 2005 and have been an adjunct professor in the Visual Communications department there ever since. Over the years, I have explored many different areas of the arts. Lately most of my work has been in watercolor.    

What attracted you to work at One River School?

I’ve always loved teaching and do not get to teach the younger generations at Farmingdale State College. I especially enjoy teaching middle school and high school students. 

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

It’s great to teach in a place that both appreciates and supports the arts. I love that creative individuals have a place they can come to where they can learn and cultivate their talents and creativity. It’s a gift to be able to work with people who share the same love of the arts as you do and to work with students who also share that same passion. 

What has been your favorite project to teach and why?

I really enjoyed the ink installations project. Watching the students transform their clay pieces into the animals of their choice and then seeing how they illustrated the environments under and behind their clay figure was truly inspiring. Their imaginations and creative approach far surpassed my expectations. I was so amazed by their projects and proud to have been a part and an inspiration in their creative process. 

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

It’s more like a series of moments that stand out to me. There is one student who comes in every week and tells me about animals and strange facts that I have never heard of before. I learn something new from her every week. Last week another student told me that I’m the first teacher that she actually remembers their name because she actually likes me. It’s the moments when they make me laugh and touch my heart. Those are the moments that stand out to me. 

What do you enjoy outside of One River?

I love creating my own art outside of teaching, I especially enjoy creating Disney fan art in watercolor. I also enjoy running and am looking forward to finally being able to participate in the New York City marathon this fall after trying for five years in a row to get in. I love spending time with my three children, my dogs and my cats.