One of the primary focuses in teaching is to allow students the space to explore their inner thoughts and ideas with confidence and to search out hidden memories and experiences. Sometimes art is created through simple expressions or emotional acts, and to that end, I have built a repertoire of lessons that will assist students in building expressive projects. Through painting and drawing, it is my desire to share my experiences and information gained over the years with colleagues and students alike as a mentor or teacher. I am passionate about painting and amazed by the power it has to reflect one’s deep feelings and emotions as well as influence society. In the classroom, the goal is always to help students develop their own sense of expression by paying attention to their emotions, asking important questions about the environment, and clarifying their thoughts so they can reflect their thoughts, feelings, and sights in their art. As an instructor, the goal is to help students cultivate critical thinking skills and build confidence in their artistic abilities using the information they learn in the classroom and in the global environment as a canvas upon which to express their ideas.
I graduated from Booker T. Washington for the Performing Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas, in 1983. Since my time there studying painting, drawing, printmaking and well-rounded art curriculum, I knew I wanted to become a teacher. After 25 years doing that, upon a return to school to further my education and grow in the field, I majored in painting and drawing which taught me a variety of techniques and mediums that helped me to grow in the arts. For example, through my art history classes, I learned many master artists’ techniques and have used them in several of my projects.
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"Teaching Philosophy".
After graduating in 2013 from Texas Woman’s University, I was privileged to teach art at the International Leadership of Texas Middle School in Arlington, Texas, for two years. While there, I introduced many of the techniques that I had previously learned to the students and built an advance level of art curriculum during that time. After two years in teaching there, I returned to the Graduate School to help cultivate a deeper understanding of painting and printmaking and through these graduate classes, I built a series of projects that deeply involve my personal experiences. Being able to incorporate gestures, drips, transparencies, and wording all over the canvases released my emotions to freely express past and present memories.
I believe that my teaching abilities will guide students into advanced levels in painting and art. This self-confidence in teaching has allowed my creativity to guide me down new paths. With that in mind, I believe a strong foundational understanding of art is necessary to understand the challenges of certain concepts and the detail that goes into design. Further, it is important to give the student time to learn and provide all tools needed to cultivate an appreciation for form, color, composition, and critical thinking. My skills, experience, and passion for this field will play a role in how students learn techniques and use them to reflect and influence the world around them.
