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Educational Background: I have a Master of Arts in Computer Graphics and a Bachelor of Arts in Illustration and Design Graphics from the New York Institute of Technology.
Career: I first fell in love with teaching as an Art Instructor for Riverview School District where I taught art enrichment for 10+ years. My background in art includes over 30 years of professional experience in illustration, graphic design, and computer graphics/animation. Over the course of my career, I have worked as an Art Director, Game Designer, and Artist on over 20 published multimedia titles including the award-winning Nancy Drew Mystery Games. I was also a Program Manager for Microsoft Xbox’s Forza Motorsport franchise and managed 300+ artists globally. This is my fourth year as an Art Educator for St. Joseph School. Each day I feel blessed to bring my excitement and passion for art to my students! Currently, I also am the Visual Arts Instructor at Northwest Art Center in Duvall where I have been teaching fine arts and digital arts for 10 years.
SJS Experience: My philosophy for learning art is that each child has unique, God given talents and strengths. One of my goals is to help each student discover their individuality and strengths while showing them how to develop and maximize the unique gifts that God gave them. I believe it is important to cultivate a close art community within the classroom, where students will lift each other up with encouragement and support. When students come to art class, they should feel that it is a safe place to express themselves and their ideas, and to develop their artistic talents. It is my hope that at the end of each class, they feel confident and excited about their accomplishments.
Interests: My hobbies include anything creative or related to art, but photography has always been my passion. Several years ago, I started my own company, Lake Joy Design - a graphic design and photography studio. I spend many weekends photographing special events such as weddings, school events, senior portraits, as well as most sacramental celebrations for my parish, Holy Innocents Church in Duvall.
Our Art Program at St. Joseph School proudly participates in Artsonia.com, an online art gallery that allows students to have their own webpage to showcase their artwork! Artsonia allows parents to view their child’s artwork and share it with family members and friends all around the world. Please enjoy St. Joseph School’s online art gallery here: Artonsia