Thinking Outside The Box
Becoming an art teacher has always been a dream of mine and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to share my passion and my love for art with my students. My passion for the arts has taken me on an incredible journey and has offered me countless opportunities to grow not only as an individual but also as a creator. Each piece of art that I have created has brought me new experiences and new knowledge.
Self-portraits and Drawing
Untitled
Summer of 2015
Charcoal
Drawing a successful self-portrait was always a personal goal of mine.The summer of 2015 I had the opportunity to take a drawing class with Jenny Chi at Eastern Illinois University. This was one of the best education experiences I had ever had in throughout my entire college career. That summer I walked away with more knowledge then I had ever gained in my undergrad. This self-portrait was a final product of the class.
Emerald Eye's
Spring of 2015
Acrylic paint
This is an example of a monochromatic painting project that my painting students and I did two years ago. I took pictures of each student in the class and then taught them how to use Photoshop filters to create layers of values over their original image.This project was a difficult one for my student but also a very rewarding one. We used measurements to make a grid on both the altered image the students created on Photoshop and on the large paper. Student then transferred the altered image to the large paper . After the students drew the image out on the large paper they were then able to choose one color that they would then create their monochromatic palette with to complete their painting.
Spring of 2015
Acrylic paint
This is an example of a monochromatic painting project that my painting students and I did two years ago. I took pictures of each student in the class and then taught them how to use Photoshop filters to create layers of values over their original image.This project was a difficult one for my student but also a very rewarding one. We used measurements to make a grid on both the altered image the students created on Photoshop and on the large paper. Student then transferred the altered image to the large paper . After the students drew the image out on the large paper they were then able to choose one color that they would then create their monochromatic palette with to complete their painting.
Regular Dan
Cont'e Summer 2015 This was from the figure drawing class at Eastern Illinois University. This was my first time drawing someone other then myself. This experience was filled with a verity of firsts and helped me learn how to teach my students about how to use measurements and shapes when they are drawing. |
Dan's Face
Charcoal
Summer 2015
This was the fist time I had ever drawn another persons face. I have really grown to appreciate unfinished drawings since I took this Drawing class.
Charcoal
Summer 2015
This was the fist time I had ever drawn another persons face. I have really grown to appreciate unfinished drawings since I took this Drawing class.
Collage
Twisted Truth
Collage
Fall 2014
At the beginning of every semester I introduce collage and the history of how it began. This was an example I made in the 2014 to help my students better understand the effect of layering images and give a better example of how to juxtapose an image within a collage. In this collage I wanted to express the impact words
and different fonts could make when used on top or above other images. I also used the collage as a tool for my students to get to know me and I also use their collages to get to know there likes and dislikes better. This has been a useful tool for make better connection with my basic art students.
Twisted Truth
Collage
Fall 2014
At the beginning of every semester I introduce collage and the history of how it began. This was an example I made in the 2014 to help my students better understand the effect of layering images and give a better example of how to juxtapose an image within a collage. In this collage I wanted to express the impact words
and different fonts could make when used on top or above other images. I also used the collage as a tool for my students to get to know me and I also use their collages to get to know there likes and dislikes better. This has been a useful tool for make better connection with my basic art students.
Framing The Past
Mixed Media
Winter 2008
Collage has always been one of my favorite art style. I enjoy trying different types of collage and using mixed media. For example, the image below is a collection of pictures from my family. These images are cutout from their original backgrounds and then are placed above their original background or on top of a new background creating a three dimensional surface.
Mixed Media
Winter 2008
Collage has always been one of my favorite art style. I enjoy trying different types of collage and using mixed media. For example, the image below is a collection of pictures from my family. These images are cutout from their original backgrounds and then are placed above their original background or on top of a new background creating a three dimensional surface.
Mapping My Journey
Watercolor pencils
spring 2016
This is a map that I made that tracks the journey my education has taken me on. This map begins in my home town of St. Charles IL. and displays Western Illinois University were I went to college for my undergraduate. This map also shows my journey back home to the Chicago land area where I completed my endorsement in special education at Roosevelt and then my teaching experience in Italy.
Watercolor pencils
spring 2016
This is a map that I made that tracks the journey my education has taken me on. This map begins in my home town of St. Charles IL. and displays Western Illinois University were I went to college for my undergraduate. This map also shows my journey back home to the Chicago land area where I completed my endorsement in special education at Roosevelt and then my teaching experience in Italy.
Family Tree
Mixed Media Spring 2016 This is a collage that I made during my art, culture, and community course. This collage is a collection of images and words that describe my family's migration story to the united states. The left side of the collage is my fathers side and consists of last names and country that my fathers side of the family were from before traveling here to the United States. The right side of the map displays the countries that my mothers family thad traveled from before they began their life's in Chicago IL. Both Families came into the United States from New York that is why the small foot prints are leading towards the Empire States building. |
Painting
Color Experiment
Spring 2003
Oil on canvas
This is a three piece painting the two outer canvases are much larger then the center. This is not one of my favorite paintings but at the time I was experimenting with shapes and colors.
Silk screening
The Mustard Lovers Mustard
Silkscreen
Fall 2003
At this time in my college career I was studying pop art and became inspired by the rich colors and subjects that pop art culture offered.
Hazels Memory
Silkscreen Fall 2003 This print was made in honor of my great grandmother Hazel who was a nurse. There are layers of skeleton keys, old cars and vintage photos of nurses that are hidden throughout this piece. The tree symbolizes the farm she grew up on and her face is covered by the tree because I never had a the opportunity to get to know her because Alzheimers disease took her away from us at a young age. There is a smaller photo of her towards the bottom of the page that captures her in good health at a younger age. The other two people are my Grandmother Patricia who was Hazels daughter and her husband my great grandfather Steve. |
Sculpture
Hardware
Terracotta
Fall 2000
This is a large screw that is made out of terracotta clay and glazed in a gun metal gray glaze. I made this piece in my sculpture class during my undergraduate studies. I learned a lot about the stages of clay and the process that one needs to be aware of when creating a large structure out of clay.
Terracotta
Fall 2000
This is a large screw that is made out of terracotta clay and glazed in a gun metal gray glaze. I made this piece in my sculpture class during my undergraduate studies. I learned a lot about the stages of clay and the process that one needs to be aware of when creating a large structure out of clay.
Fairy Wings
Spring 2001 Lost Wax Cast Bronze This was my first lost wax casting. This was such a cool experience because I had to create the fairy out of wax. By the end of the process my fingers were calloused and sore from trying to shape the fairy. the lily pad was a real lily pad that I pored wax over to create the shape and texture. Next I began to layer the wax in the casting materials we layered this piece many times before we could pour the bronze. |
Swimming in My Head
Clay
Fall 2005
This is a flower pot that I made. I was experimenting with glazes and melting glass on this project it was just a pot that I made for fun. There is a face that appears on one side of the pot the bangs that hang over the eyes are actually fingers and on the side of the pot they become a tree. On the other side I created fish the large fish is eating the smaller fish. There are also a verity of textures and lines that surround the fish.
Clay
Fall 2005
This is a flower pot that I made. I was experimenting with glazes and melting glass on this project it was just a pot that I made for fun. There is a face that appears on one side of the pot the bangs that hang over the eyes are actually fingers and on the side of the pot they become a tree. On the other side I created fish the large fish is eating the smaller fish. There are also a verity of textures and lines that surround the fish.