Born and raised in Texas, I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin’s College of Fine Arts with a B.A. in Studio Art and a B.F.A. in Visual Art Studies. I moved to California in 2001, and have been teaching art a public school ever since. After 20 years of teaching, I went back to school part-time, and received a Masters in Art Education from Eastern Illinois University.

My approach to teaching art is discipline-based, incorporating art appreciation, art history, and art production into most of my curriculum, while also focusing on introducing students to art created by people from around our country and the world.

I am often asked what my favorite projects are that I do with kids. It’s generally what makes them excited, which are often choice projects, ceramics, printmaking, and perspective drawing. These projects seem to lend themselves to great moments of discovery and joy, whether it’s figuring out how to make a ceramic vessel not collapse in the moment, having that revelation of the print truly being backwards, or applying perspective skills to making something look 3D on a flat surface.

When I’m not being a teacher, I paint, try to keep up with my book club, and enjoy the beauty of nature as often as I can.