My Wee Beginnings as an Artist: 2nd Grade Through High School

My artistic evolution started way back...back in the 2nd grade when my First Grade teacher Ms. Granger nominated me for entry into the talented arts program in St. Tammany Parish. I worked that year to create a portfolio, took the entrance test and by 2nd grade I was adopted into the art world. I credit my very beginnings to Mr. Douglas Brewster, who is still a practicing artist. I met him once again at his showing at a local gallery in Lafayette and I will never forget his passion and kind demeanor. I can still remember our marionette project. We got to make our own puppets with moveable parts and clothes. He always played music for us in the classroom and had a very supportive classroom climate.

Each week, along with about 6 other students, I would ride a bus to another school where we would meet our teacher and explore different mediums, learn about artists, and create. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to see the benefits of smaller student teacher ratios, observe classroom climate, and instill a love of art education in me. I took particular interest in the artist Georgia O'keeffe. I enjoyed her artistic sensibility, the way she depicted the undulating forms of flowers through darks and lights. She created intricate watercolor and acrylic paintings using value shapes instead of line. I valued her work and keen eye.

By 5th grade, when I started learning a little about art history and artists...in particular Vincent Van Gogh...I announced to my parents that I wanted out. I didn't want to be crazy like those artist people I said. Lucky for me my parents were very supportive of my endeavor and encouraged me to continue. They reassured me that not every artist was crazy. In fact, I looked up to every talented art teacher I had and they were artists too! 6th and 7th Grade was no different. I had Ms. Barbara Dooley those two years. She was serious about challenging her students and very supportive of our progress. I remember that year vividly; one project we made Mardi Gras masks/hats from giant pink foam. I made a crawfish hat and wore it proudly to a parade. We also did wire sculptures, paper mache and ceramic tile mosaics. This was the year that developed my love for sculpture! Ms. Dooley also sponsored an after school Art Club. She was the most enthusiastic and dedicated teacher I had for Art Club. She encouraged other students to attend art club; one of my best friends in fact. That made the year! In fact, if I end up teaching in the public school system I would prefer to work with middle school or high school students so that I can sponsor an art club modeled after my middle school experience.

At times I was so focused that I got lost in my work. So lost at times that my other subjects suffered. I remember 7th grade year...just like every year before I would miss two hours from the regular school week. That year it just so happened that I missed my math class. I struggled adding and subtracting negatives, missed important tests and got called on when I had no clue what was going on. It waned on my self esteem as a student. Luckily my dad, the petroleum engineer came to the rescue. He tutored me regularly and helped me bring my grades up and by the end of the year we were beating other parent student teams in a math competition at open house night!

High School was a new and challenging endeavor. Our talented art classes were broken down into more depth of process, we had to keep regular sketchbooks and do research on ideas and artists. Our senior year we had a show locally..much like a practicing professional artist shows their work. We hung our show, made announcement cards, prepared food for the opening night and talked about or work with visitors. This was a pivotal time in my artistic career. Showing your work can be nerve racking. Your work succumbs to the critical eye of both seasoned and first time art viewers. This was an invaluable experience for us.

This was One of Tika Hasslock's Blue Crab Platters

I also opted in my senior year to do an internship in the arts. I was set up for the first semester working with Tika Hasslock of Hasslock Studios of Covington, La. Hasslock Studios was a production pottery studio that decorated and sold production ware. I worked alongside their shop assistant who showed me tools like the jolly jigger, slip casting vats, slip casting molds, jigger molds, and their collection of electric kilns. I worked refining their green ware by sponging sharp edges before the first bisque fire. Then I observed alongside a decoration artist who worked with majolica glazes. She painted designs by hand and then personalized orders with monogramming. The majority of their business came from online orders. I also worked a bit in the office filing finished orders away for safe keeping. My second semester I worked with Ms. Mary Elaine Bernard at Stone and Paper Art Center LLC of Mandeville. Stone and Paper was a Community Arts Center. Several local artists taught classes there such as oil painting, watercolor, potters wheel and handbuilding and kids classes. I worked on studio maintenance. I regularly sieved glazes, scraped and kiln washed kiln shelves, wiped overglazed bottoms of work, cleaned and organized tools. I also answered phone calls and registered students for classes. I also observed and helped out with the kids classes. I regularly picked Ms. Bernard's brain about art education and starting her own business. She had a very strong spirit and she knew how to make things happen! She was very organized and on top of her business. I learned a lot from her! Both studios have since closed.

I can remember almost every teacher from high school from Mr. Ralph Townsend, to Ms. Cindy Rowen, to Ms. Jane Hill and Mr. Warren Heintz. These were the teachers that directed my future after high school. Ms. Hill taught us 2D Art and Mr. Heintz 3D. I developed my skills in ceramics, printmaking and drawing. More importantly they were my mentors. They extended their artistic and education philosophies. They encouraged me to attend college as an art student. I developed a mentoring relationship with them outside of the classroom after high school as professional artists. They helped me see the transition from classroom artist to studio artist. I worked the summer in between high school and college with Ms. Hill as a studio assistant. She created forms from clay inspired by mother nature. She taught me how to cast these forms into paper mache replicas that she would then reconfigure into new pieces. She taught me studio process, showed me her sketchbooks, shared her ideas. I left that summer feeling confident I was heading in a promising direction in college. I kept in touch with Mr. Heintz and Ms. Hill when I needed advice and they were always willing. I still try and keep in touch with them to see how they are doing to this day.

I won first place for this drawing I did at the Three Rivers Art Festival in Covington Louisiana while in High School. Ms. Hill suggested I submit this work.

When I left high school I didn't have my own artistic direction. I knew I wanted to do sculpture and my experience with ceramics was already instilled. It didn't take me long to decide that I was meant for a BFA. I got accepted to UL in 2004. My artistic saga continues....look for college and beyond in the upcoming weeks.