I’ve always been a visual person, and as a teen, I admired my talented peers with a bit of envy, feeling like I could never match their creativity and ability.

In college, I found a teacher who taught art as a set of skills and techniques, and I loved learning how to apply faux finishes and use highlights and shadows to create dimensionality.  I didn't consider myself an "artist" for years, despite building an impressive portfolio of scenic art for designers at theaters in and around Washington D.C., Maryland, and northern Virginia.

I found my way into teaching through college adjunct positions, then spent ten years teaching middle and high school students art and stagecraft.  I loved seeing students blossom, but giving grades for art never felt right.  

 

Intuitive Painting with Chris Zydel in the Bay Area led me to self-recognition as a creative artist after years of considering myself merely a skilled crafts-person. 

I now believe that everyone who seeks to has the power to discover their creativity, trust their intuition, and see themselves as an artist in the mirror.