About me:
I’m an experienced teaching artist in Brooklyn, New York where I work as a lead teacher at a variety of art organizations, all of which concentrate on bringing art to public schools, shelters, and other under (or nada) served areas. I also offer tutoring for many talented and creative kids and adults in the New York area.
Benefits of Art Tutoring:
Through art tutoring, the student learns to see as an artist: they learn that often the hand knows what the mind does not.
Art is critical to a well-rounded development. Art develops the imagination, and refines cognitive and creative skills. It strengthens problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, adding to overall academic achievement and school success. It teaches life skills such as developing an informed perception; articulating a vision; learning to solve problems and make decisions; building self-confidence and self-discipline; developing the ability to imagine what might be; and accepting responsibility to complete tasks from start to finish.
My Style and Philosophy:
When you begin as my student, we at first concentrate on re-learning how to see and perceive. All peoples have preconceived ideas of what things look like that they developed as children. One relies on these biases and will draw ideas of what something looks like rather than what it actually looks like. I begin all tutoring relationships by teaching drawing. We learn to draw (and thus to accurately see and perceive) through a series of exercises designed to build up a student's confidence while demonstrating their innate drawing and perceptual ability. Once competency is established, we move into color theory. This is taught in a hands-on way to allow the student to see how colors interact rather than simply memorizing theory. Only after these foundational tools have been established will we begin to work in whatever medium the student is interested in.
With kids under 8, I work to develop an art project that suits their age and temperament. Younger kids are given access to tactile materials and allowed to experiment with them freely. Older kids can work with me to develop more elaborate art projects. By understanding each age’s developmental needs, I am able to create a custom artistic experience that has kids having fun while developing an intuitive appreciation for the arts (all the arts) that they will carry with them into adulthood.
My Teaching History:
Having a history in child care and an education in art, I am ideally equipped to provide a creative and engaging environment for children. I am inventive with time, and flexible with activities, taking into account the children’s individual personalities. I have an extensive history in child-care, both in private and education sectors. I worked in a day-care with 2.5-3 year olds, and was one of three teachers in charge of 25-30 kids, working within the Creative Curriculum (giving children the tools, knowledge and freedom to construct their own time creatively). Additionally, I worked in the Ann Arbor public schools as a substitute teacher, working with a variety of age groups. I worked as the Arts and Crafts Specialist at a YMCA summer camp; my duties were to design and execute a summer's worth of engaging crafts to kids ranging in age from 5-16. I’ve long been involved with FreeArts NYC as a mentor, and have worked for SittersStudio as an art-sitter. I’m currently an independent art teacher in the NYC area, working for organizations such as HiArt! and Apple Art as a lead teacher, as well as taking on private clients.
My Artistic History:
I have been pursuing art in numerous forms since I was a young child. I first embraced ceramics, then moved to photography as an undergraduate. As a graduate student at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, I began to draw, then to paint, and then to make my own paper. I am still engaged in all three, and make large format paper to accommodate my abstracted, muted, landscapes. My work has ranged in subject matter from explorations of perception, memory, and the landscape of my home state of Iowa to attempts at defining and describing the current cultural and political climate.
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