“What inspired you to start?” “I’ve always loved creating, even though I didn’t have my first art lesson until after high school. I was always making little collage books and pieces combining art and text. I originally wanted to be a calligraphic artist and was on my way to Seattle after high school to attend the Factory School of Visual Art. I got down there with my dad and was turned away at the border because the school hadn’t completed the necessary forms for out of country students to attend. I was devastated. I then did a lot of traveling overseas by myself (even though I was barely 18). There were a few years of taking on bizarre jobs like worm picking on vacant golf courses in the middle of the night (worst job ever), a chambermaid at the Banff Springs Hotel (second worst job ever) and working at a mountaineering shop to earn money to travel again. I eventually realized I couldn’t make a living as an artist as my family didn’t have endless funds to support this, and these jobs were not soul fulfilling. My parents said I should be a teacher which I thought was a terrible idea at the time. I was intent on going to art school. To pay off student loans I took a one year teaching job. My first teaching gig wasn’t in art, actually, it was a Grade 5 class at an underprivileged school in Edmonton. The students came from all over the world, mostly refugees and it was this experience with them that made me fall in love with education. I realized the relationships I built with the students and families were what I found endlessly satisfying and challenging and if I could get a job combining art with teaching, I would also have the time to work on my own art as well. It turned out to be the perfect combination for me.”
“Who did you inspire?” “I’m not sure who I have inspired but I know that parents and ex-students write to me when they are at galleries and thank me for introducing them to art history when they recognize different artwork around the world. Many students who I connected with in the art room became artists and it’s been so rewarding to watch their careers grow as photographers, painters, musicians, ceramicists and sculptors. The students who found the art room a haven are usually the ones who end up following a career in the arts. For a few years I had a group of students come in on a couple of Sundays to paint backdrops for the school musical. Most of those students ended up in the arts, among them was our own musical theater actress and director Keri Smith, Seth Rogen (who is now also a ceramicist!), Mira Robin who became an art therapist, Pamela Schneider who is a choreographer for Cirque du Soleil, and the list goes on. There are certain students who don’t just love art, they need art and creativity. It’s not always visual art but the artistic realm of some sort is central to their being. I think it’s less about inspiring and more about providing a space for students to find their creative voice and medium. Very often, these students struggle a bit more with academics but flourish in art, music and literature. Other students have written to me after graduating and been excited about starting to paint or pursue other mediums years later.”
“When did you start working at the school?” “I started working at Talmud Torah in 1987! It seems incredible but when you love your job, it doesn’t seem like work a lot of the time. Being able to teach art and switch up what I do every year has kept me from being bored and I am still excited about trying new projects with classes even after this many years!”
“What university did you go to?” “I went to the University of Alberta, Emily Carr College of Art and 20 years ago I got my Master’s.” “What did you want to be when you grew up, as a kid?” “When I was six I decided I wanted to be Princess Grace of Monaco and wrote about her endlessly. I also had a period where I wanted to be a neurosurgeon as the idea of mapping someone’s brain was fascinating to me. Being a backup singer was appealing to me as well as being part of a ground crew for air force jets because I liked all the hand motions and little dance moves they make and I love fighter jets.”
“Why did you start a career in art?” “Like many students, I found a real calm in making art; it’s something that I can do for hours and hours and time flies by. It also helped focus my lack of attention that I struggled with in school. I was mesmerized by art history and the telling of political scenarios through art. I traveled to Paris at 18 which was life changing as it cemented the drive to somehow have a career in art. Seeing all of the sculpture and art was like seeing in color after seeing only in black and white. I was amazed.”
“What is your favorite thing to paint?” “For a long time I worked in photography and that’s where I made money, doing book covers and exhibits. Now I work in collage and ink drawings. My favorite things to paint are large scale, colorful, whimsical works in alcohol markers and ink and mixed media. I still love integrating text and art.” “Who is your favorite artist?” “That’s a hard question. Favorite dead artist would be the Italian sculptor Canova whose “Psyche and Cupid” was one of the first sculptures I saw at the Louvre. I am in awe of Michelangelo’s “Pieta” and Marc Chagall’s work. Contemporary artist favorites: Dominique Fortin from Montreal, British paper artist Su Blackwell and anything by Cy Twombly. Oh, Jean-Michel Basquiat. So many of my own students have made art that makes me lose my breath. I have to stop. There’s just so many.”
“How do you choose which art project to do with students?” “Partially I gauge the class; some classes are more painting oriented and others more graphics leaning. By Grade 4 I have introduced a variety of projects and techniques and I have a pretty good idea of what is perfect for the age group. Sometimes I will see something online from other art teachers or often come up with something in the middle of the night that makes me super excited to try. This continues to be one of the most exciting parts of my job”
