Tell us a little bit about you and your background.

I’m a graduate of William Paterson University with a BFA. My concentration in college was painting, but I started my artistic journey as a draftsman. At a young age, I used to draw everything from action figures, cartoons, my family, pets, animals, landscapes, etc… I have always been interested in the process of creating a piece of art and pulling things from my life as inspiration for my pieces.  Nature also has a huge influence on my work.  I find it so majestic, that I constantly take pictures, sketch, and visually document the beauty I see. I love to experiment with different processes and mediums to come up with new ways to convey a visual language.  That passion for creating art has carried through to my adulthood as I try new mediums and techniques to further my expertise.  

I take a lot of my inspiration from nature, I’m fascinated with the beauty of our planet and the creatures that inhabit it.  I also love to experiment with my work finding new ways to create a visual language and share my artistic vision with the world. Aside from creating my art, I have a passion for instructing and helping students achieve their creative ideas.  To me, helping a student succeed is just as rewarding as creating a piece myself.        

What attracted you to work at One River School?

Since discovering my passion for art and teaching, I have been searching for a space that fosters creativity and an appreciation for the arts.  When I learned that One River offers a unique art education experience taught by professional artists,  I knew this was the place I needed to be.  I truly believe a good instructor/educator needs to be active in the field and practice what they teach to accurately pass on that knowledge to students.  Having that in an environment where like-minded individuals can collaborate on ideas and learn from each other creates one of the most engaging places on earth.     

How would you describe your team?

My team at Millburn NJ, is made up of some of the most talented and passionate people I have ever met.  We have an amazing understanding of each other’s skills and expertise. Constantly collaborating to solve problems and come up with new ways to elevate our staff and set our school up for success.  We all have an extreme appreciation for our curriculum and our student’s artistic journey.  

What do you think we do best at One River?

Here at One River, I believe one of the things we do best is make connections.  We make connections to our students sharing art from contemporary artists as well as unique methods and materials to best execute their creative ideas.  We connect our community to exhibiting professional artists, workshops, and events fueling the local art scene in our area.  Most importantly we connect our students with outstanding instructors who are professional artists themselves and can share first-hand knowledge and experience with our students.    

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

Many moments stand out to me from my time at One River.  One, in particular, involved a student from my art shuffle class.  This student joined my class and was very shy at the beginning as well as not confident in her work.  She did open up after a couple of classes and shared that she felt out of place in the class because she believed her skill level was lower than the rest of the students. I shared a story with her about a piece I worked on that I was having trouble with. I was finishing a piece for an upcoming show and didn’t like some of the elements in it.  I was nervous about it but decided to keep it as is and display it in the show.  To my surprise, that piece was well received. I got a lot of compliments on it and no one brought up the problems I had with the piece. I told her we are usually our own worst critic and that whatever she is feeling about her work someone else will probably see it differently.  She appreciated my sharing that and was surprised to learn that even experienced artists have trouble and the same anxieties about their work.   I worked with this student for a little less than a year watching her skill level grow and was impressed with how she improved.  Recently this student reached out for a letter of recommendation to a private school.  She has since been accepted to the school and shared how thankful she was for my mentorship.  It almost brought me to tears!                      

Who or what motivates you?

My biggest motivator is the success of my students.  I want all my students to succeed, accomplish all of their ideas, and learn from their mistakes. Seeing the growth of my students is one of the most fulfilling things in my career.    

What do you enjoy outside of One River?

Outside of One River, I enjoy hiking, painting, and photographing nature, and the commission work I receive, especially pet portraits.  Being able to create such an important piece for my clients is an amazing feeling.  Aside from creating art for myself and others,  I also enjoy spending time with my family and teaching my son how to draw and paint.