Q; How long have you worked at Millersville University?
A: Six years
Q: Where did you attend school?
A: Undergrad: Moore College of Art, Phila. Pa.
Graduate: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
I also took courses at Paris American Academy in the summer and Salzburg Summer Academy.
Q: What is the most important part about teaching art to your students?
A: That they gain an appreciation for the art that is the most difficult to understand and give it a chance. I am interested in providing them with new experiences and opening their minds to THINK in ways that they have not previously. I want them hopefully, to see the world in a slightly different and new way. And that art can change, influence and enhance their lives in positive ways.
Q: Name two artists you admire and why?
A: Gustav Klimt – His ability to draw and his marvelous color and inventiveness.
Henri Matisse – His work has always just brought me sheer joy
Q: Do I have to limit this to two?
A: Xenia Hausner – I studied with her in Austria and I love her gutseyness and use of color.
Peirrre Bonnard – His color and application of paint.
Q: What inspires you the most for your own works?
A: People, animals and other artists (past or present)
Q: What is your favorite medium of art to teach?
A: Drawing, painting: watercolor, acrylic or oil.
Q: How do you think you got to where you are today?
A: By being compelled to do what I do…and making sure I had the education to pursue my goals and the determination to get there. And I am still not there – I am constantly revising my teaching, every semester – how can I make this course better. In my own work always setting higher goals for myself in my painting.
Q: What is a subject that interests you that students would be surprised to know about?
A: Scuba diving, animal rights, the environment and politics, but they may know this!
Q: Professors tend to say they learn from students just as students learn from them. What is something you learned from your art students?
A: Recently a student asked me a question that really made ME question the validity or importance of what I was insisting was important. I spent several days discussing it with other artist friends and getting a variety of opinions. I have also had students do independent research on something we discussed in class and give me more information. I always appreciate that and am thrilled that they care enough to bother to do that.