ABOUT ME

I was raised mainly in and around the Black Hills of South Dakota. My favorite things to do were to draw, make things, read, go to school, and take walks to explore forest roads and paths. I graduated from Rapid City Central High School (South Dakota). For my B.S. in Art Education, I attended Chadron State College (Nebraska) and graduated cum laude (while raising a family and owning & operating a day care). Eventually I earned my Master's in Humanities with an Emphasis in Art History from Prescott College (Prescott, AZ).

Currently I teach art for grades 7-12 for two school districts in west-central Minnesota. Mornings I teach at Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley and afternoons at Chokio-Alberta. When I started teaching, my main project was to develop an art curriculum that built upon itself and met state standards. I believe I've done that but I still tweak and adjust a few lessons every summer in an effort to continuously improve. I also like to get my students involved in projects that help the community when possible.

While I enjoy many areas of art, my favorites are drawing and art history. I've entertained myself through drawing since I was in preschool, plus I like the convenience and portability of paper and pencils. I tend to be a bit meticulous and exact so it takes me around 12 - 18 hours to do a drawing up to a level of quality I'm at least somewhat satisfied with. A work of art can show us things about the society it was created in - the society's technology, beliefs, daily life, etc. For me, art history combines art with world cultures and history in a way that makes all of those subjects more interesting.