My SCC Profile write - up from 2021 (below):  

FAMILY HISTORY: 

I was born in Regina in 1969 and I was raised in Lumsden, Saskatchewan after a brief stay in the city for Kindergarten to grade 1 at St. Peter's Elementary, Regina.  I was fortunate to go to school with cousins from both sides of my parents family in Lumsden until grade 10.  That year (1985), I won a provincial art competition that granted me the opportunity to travel throughout China to tour Arts Education institutions as part of an NDP government trade initiative.  In those days, we did not have a grade 11 or 12 art program at Lumsden High, so I was granted special permission by the school board to continue my education in Regina at the all girl Catholic School, Marian.  My high school art teacher in Lumsden, Terry Osbourne, was instrumental in helping me earn this award, and - years later - becoming a proud PVSD teacher and staff member.   

I am a proud sister to two siblings (one younger, one older), an aunt to 2 nieces and 1 nephew, great auntie (to 6), cousin (to 39) and second cousin (to 46+)  in an international/rainbow family.   I have 30 aunts and uncles, in total.  Suffice it to say, I come from a big, loving and super helpful family.  When my parents started Kindergarten, both were English Second Language learners.  

My dad, a major figure in my life, passed away in 2011.  He taught me a great deal about pursuing excellence and being in competition with myself, not others.  When he wasn't working at IPSCO, he was building cupboards, sawmills or bi-planes and re-doing old cars, tractors, etc.  He was really good at taking care of his family, our home, his trucks, campers, boats, tools and all the other things we enjoyed as a family.  I always had a fine bike (and a unicycle) to ride and he was always ready to help me build something I needed for school and university.  The canvas painting frames and sculpture stands he built for me for my university classes and studio work have been the envy of others....even if he had to get it made at 5 in the morning.  I was super lucky to have such a dedicated and talented DAD!

My generous and resourceful MOM is 79 years young and still very active in our home church and community...while simultaneously enjoying a well deserved retirement from Commercial Cooking and Home Care.  I am super fortunate to have a generous and resourceful MOM who supports everything I do as a classroom artist/teacher...and have to give credit to her and her friends where due.  With limited classroom supply budgets being a regular reality, my mom and her generous friends often have my teacher back and collect free classroom/art supplies/books at a moments notice.    I AM BLESSED!  I love my Mom and have a very, very special appreciation of all Moms as a result.  It's the hardest and most under-appreciated job in the world.  MOMS are the best!

My Second Degree:  Visual Art B. Ed. (University of Regina) 

One of my university degrees is in Drawing, yes, DRAWING!  I specialized in it - and drawing development - in Fine Arts School and have taken pretty much every level of class available to do it well.  Realistic - like.  So, this means that I can teach you the skills to draw what you see.  I want it to be clear that no one whispers ‘you can draw’ or ‘you can’t draw’ in your ear at birth and your DNA complies.  Drawing what you see is a learnable skill and I have the ability to teach it.  Some art teachers don’t, but every art teacher is different too.  The first two - and only the first two - assignments are about addressing the ‘but, I can’t draw’ barrier.  The root meaning of the word ‘art’ is ‘to connect’ or ‘put together.’  Repeat:  connect.  Put together.  Think about that for a moment.  That is something that we all do.  It doesn’t matter what your gender is, where you live, how you eat, who you vote for, how you worship…or not. We all connect.  We all put things together…every day.  We put ingredients together for recipes.  We connect words to sing lyrics, make sentences, communicate verbally or or writing.  Movements strung together create dances.  Hammer, wood and nails come together to create homes.  Pajama bottoms and t-shirts, socks and sandals, create outfits.  Maybe not the most fashionable ensemble, but…taste is another issue we can discuss later.  Just because someone doesn’t draw confidently, doesn’t mean that they are not an artist.  We are all artists because we connect and put things together as part of being.  Some of us put some things together better than others.  That’s true.  Ask my sister about my chicken stir fry and you will hear lots of stories about the disconnected culinary skills of my youth.  LOL!

Master of Art Education:  University of Victoria - Thesis:  "How Theories of Art Teacher Identity are being Actualized and Transformed in a Proliferating Cyber-culture."

TBCon't

Some of my Diplomas, Certificates, Honours and Awards

Professional Development and Training Certificates

Coming Soon!