Faculty

Each student I have the privilege of teaching is unique. The core of my teaching philosophy is to mentor each student in discovering their potential through their own creative voice. A is classroom full of students with different life experiences, viewpoints, thoughts and needs. It is essential for students to develop their ideation process in order to find their voice. It is wonderful when I begin to see confidence beginning to build in a student when they start to trust themselves in the way they are interpreting and solving visual problems.

I believe in a strong and trusting relationship between the student and teacher. I truly enjoy getting to know each student. I respect each of them and the dynamic they bring to the classroom. I want to know what inspires them, and what their passions are. I encourage my students to take risks in their work. I want them to not be run by fear but rather that they feel safe and are open to exploring new possibilities with their work. I believe in exposing my students to the work of people from many creative disciplines. I create assignments that make the students work differently then perhaps they have before. This can be an uncomfortable process. What tends to transpire however are new paths, expanded ways of thinking and unique ways of using materials that build upon the skills they already posses. This creates a wonderful environment of excitement when one sees new possibilities in their work.

I want to inspire my students to love creating and problem solving and to keep pushing themselves to move their work forward. Art is very demanding so therefore; I expect a lot out of my students. I encourage then to keep searching for their unique way to express and interpret visual problems. The classroom should be an open place of discussion. A place where ideas and techniques are shared. A place where we acknowledge what isn’t working and what needs to be improved. But equally a place where we celebrate progress and each success. A place where the only failure is when you stop caring about your work. I truly care for my students and want them to succeed. I am a passionate teacher in the hopes that this inspires my students to never forget why they chose to pursue the careers that they are. My hope is that they learn to value their own unique voice so they continue to develop into thoughtful, confident artists.