The smell of
screen printing ink is one of my favorite smells.
It is
the smell I associate with my father. My dad was a commercial artist
and owned a sign company most of my life. As a child, when
he had a big job, we would help pull the squeegee, move the work from the
screen table to the drying racks, and position the next plate. I loved helping
and have known the basics of pulling a print my entire life!
But I grew up thinking that I couldn't be an artist. My handwriting was horrible. My dad’s is fantastic. I thought that since I couldn't write like him, I couldn't be an artist. But that
was okay, because I knew that creativity takes many forms. My mom isn't a
traditional artist, but she can sew without a pattern, bake without a recipe
and play the piano without music.
So I became a musician and
actress choosing to express my artistic passions through the performing arts.
I went to college as
a theatre major and FELL IN LOVE with the artistry of Theatrical Design! I had the privilege
of learning scenic painting, costume design and lighting design from a professor that taught students to be stage artists, but with
practical applications. We could design and craft as elaborately as we wanted,
but we had to be able to translate our art to the stage.
This philosophy made a lasting
impact on me.
I graduated from college, went to graduate school and became a public
school teacher. While teaching more than a dozen different subjects, I found
that I was a really good teacher and could learn and adapt to teach different
content, but I hadn't found my true love.
Then I was given the
opportunity to teach art. HALLELUJAH! This was it!
Given that I had decided
before the age of 10 that I couldn't be an artist, it was like finding the
other half of my soul. I had always been creating… painting, sewing,
scrapbooking, crafting. But I didn’t identify myself as an artist.
Teaching art has given me a voice
for all of my passions. More than that, because of my experience and education
in other areas, I found that I am a BETTER art teacher! I learned the elements
and principles of art, not from a textbook, but from using them in stage
design! I learned about sculpture and three dimensional art, not from a
classroom, but from how they would play to an audience as a prop or a costume.
I learned about graphic design, not from a class assignment, but from working
in public relations as a graphic designer.
Real world, practical
applications of art gave me wings to teach art students successfully!
These days, I consider myself
to be an artist and a teacher. It still feels weird to say that. In the last
five or so years I have created a lot of art… sadly, most are unfinished
teacher samples. But I am learning to finish pieces, because I love that feeling of accomplishment just as much as my students love to see me create along side them.
I love all forms of art and pride myself on continuing to learn new art techniques every day. My favorites are mixed media and no surprise, printmaking. I thrive on pushing traditional mediums into new and different forms.
I love all forms of art and pride myself on continuing to learn new art techniques every day. My favorites are mixed media and no surprise, printmaking. I thrive on pushing traditional mediums into new and different forms.
The smell of
screen printing ink is an indelible part of my soul. Happily, my students (and my
young children) know how to screen print… the smell of the ink, the scrape of
the squeegee, the clack of the drying rack… have been passed down to another
generation of artists!