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1994 Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA 1993-94 Art Center College of Design, Pasadena,CA 1977 Master of Arts Degree, Education (Instructional Media & Graphic , Arts), California State University, Long Beach, Ca 1971 Bachelor of Arts Degree, Music, California State University, Long Beach,CA
Secondary - Art, English, Music, Humanities While I have always been a dabbler in the arts, my first career was as an elementary classroom teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, California. After 10 years in this capacity, I moved up to junior high school for an additional 10 years. My career as public school teacher was truncated by the ‘oil patch’ In Alberta, Canada, in 1989. When my husband’s work first brought us to Calgary, I was not permitted to undertake employment of any type, so enjoyed the happy opportunity of exploring the visual arts as a form of self expression. (I had always wanted to try watercolour painting, and while I had no noticeable talent, was also quite interested in drawing.) I began my brief, but pleasant, two-year exploration of calligraphy through Calgary's Bow Valley Calligraphy Guild, and then branched into drawing and watercolor. When the downturn in the oil industry dictated a return to California, I exercised the opportunity to study art with ‘the best’ at the Art Center College of Art & Design, in Pasadena, where I acquired formal, traditional training in drawing. Fate then moved us to the Coeur d’ Alene area of North Idaho, where I began to work as a private teacher in the fine arts. From this location, I was able to participate in several excellent master watercolour classes in the Seattle area, as well as study drawing and sculpture with some quite successful US artists right at home in Coeur d’Alene. During the 12 years in North Idaho, I worked as a professional artist and established “Terri’s Art Works,” a 'home-based' business built around an in-house gallery and an art school for children. Working with adults through the North Idaho College Community Education Program, I had the opportunity to develop and present over 25 courses in varying visual art techniques. As one of Kootenai County’s Artists-in-the-Classrooms (under the auspices of the Citizen's Council for the Arts), I visited numerous elementary and junior high schools in the region giving specialized art instruction to many classroom youngsters and their teachers. Working as an associate instructor for the University of Idaho, I developed a program in Art Methods for Elementary School Teachers (Ed. 325), and developed and oversaw the continuing practicum for Art in the Classroom (Ed. 425). Other instructional/presentation activities included Keynote Talks about visual arts to such groups as Kiwanis, Rotary and Active Seniors for the Arts. My particular interest in all of these types of activities was to present the arts and their expression as a natural aspect of humanity, with the majority of the human population having an innate ability to participate in art production. When the ‘oil patch’ finally (and happily!) returned us to Calgary, I leased a retail art studio at the new Art Central, in downtown Calgary, where I continued to offer demonstrations and art instruction to community members. Sadly, there was not a strong enough support base to make this a viable activity, so I closed the studio after a year, and took a sabbatical from art production. I spent the following year working as a Document Control clerk, and Project Assistant at WorleyParsons MEG--an EPC Company--to give me some time to recover financially, and rethink my options in Canada. In 2007, I decided to return to a home-based business format focused on art production and a "Lite” program of art instruction; offering art lessons--private instruction and small group activities--to interested locals and their children. |
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