Please tell us about yourself.
Born and raised in Humboldt County, it was easy for me to get lost in the Redwoods or down by the tide pools. There was literally inspiration at every turn, and I found myself quickly turning to art and writing as an outlet. Writing and drawing came at a young age, but ceramics, my favorite artistic medium, didn’t come to me till I was twelve.
Aside from ceramics, I adore writing and reading. I got my bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Humboldt in English - writing practices. I had the privilege of working on the Toyon magazine where I got to engage with my favorite professors and make new friends. Also, I have found my strongest passion is my love for animals, which I incorporate into my art and writing. I am on the Board of Directors at Companion Animal Foundation as their marketing director and foster pregnant mommas and needy kittens. My home is filled with cats and dogs, and even goats and chickens in the backyard. I’m never far from animals. I enjoy teaching fascinating and fun topics to kids, and seeing them learn about the things that inspired me as a kid, is so cathartic and lovely.
Please tell us about The Studio School.
Studio School is an amazing opportunity for kids of all ages to engage in varying artistic mediums and styles in a socially stimulating setting. The kids who enroll are eager to participate in the daily curriculum with instructors who are excited to host them.
What led you to become an instructor for The Studio School?
Cal Poly Humboldt's art education professor Jim Wolgom reached out in the hopes to find someone to host Studio School. My partner, Baili Farris, and I have crafted a curriculum for each of the courses we teach.
Can you tell us about the students in The Studio School?
The students at Studio School have been engaging, excited, and creative. We find them thinking outside the box at every turn, and blowing us away with the art they create, and the ideas they share with us. It has been a pleasure to host those we have hosted already, and we eagerly await meeting the creative kids that will grace our future courses.
What have you seen in terms of growth for the students that attend The Studio School?
Children have a harder time without instant gratification, so teaching children the prospects of patience and tending to your art over time is a challenging task, but a rewarding one. But watching our students take their time to truly enjoy the fruits of their labor is a timeless sight. I find the kids at Studio School gain so much more pride in their work over time, and fostering that pride to grow and learn from our missteps has been paramount.
What have you learned from the students in The Studio School?
I, like my students, have learned the value of patience. Taking things day by day, and above all starting over when I need to. As adults we take for granted the simplicity of starting anew, because we are taught to avoid mistakes; but in our courses, mistakes are necessary and unavoidable. So patience is also impossible to avoid. When it comes to art, you’ll need to take your time to learn from the process and the people around you.
