Kidcasso

As an artist, I am inspired by the world around me. I take note of all that I see and translate it into a piece of work that expresses my emotion on a particular subject. I strive to look at things in a positive light and I believe that my artwork reflects this. I am intrigued by colors and textures, which connects to fashion, my first love. I use my inspiration to build ideas that will be represented in an abstract or impressionistic style of art. I am influenced by many different styles and genres of the past, as well as the present.

This past May I received a degree in Early Childhood Education at John Carroll University in Cleveland, OH. Four years ago, after my first field experience in a classroom, I knew I wanted to be an educator. As a kid, I was always intrigued by the vast amount of colors, shapes, and patterns around me. After living and studying in London, England for four months in 2008 and visiting the Tate Modern, I grew a strong love for modern and abstract art.

My teaching philosophy focuses around positive encouragement, independence, and individuality. I always tell my students that in art there are no "wrong" answers, just different ones, because artists, all have our own ideas and methods about making and creating. As a teacher I view myself as a resource and guide for students, to help them tap into their own special creative space. I strongly encourage independence and individuality so that students gain confidence to pursue their own creative endeavors outside of the classroom environment.

As an educator I am interested in finding ways in getting children excited about art and the world they live in. With a Bachelors Degree in Middle and Secondary Education and Visual Arts from Gordon College, it has been my passion to encourage students to get connected to the ideas and work that they create. This is why many of my students are challenged to produce artwork that has a personal connotation in some way. Students in my classes have used media such as paint, graphite, ink, clay, and film in various art projects to invent pieces that are important to them in a nurturing and fun environment.

I graduated from University of Hartford with BA in Cinematography in 2002. Upon graduation I studied at UMass Boston working towards to my masters in Elementary Education. While working on my masters I worked at HealthSouth in Braintree with children who had speech and language difficulties.