Teaching

For five years I have had the pleasure of being a teaching artist for CommonBond Communities. Teaching offers me the opportunity to bring years of experience working with older people to the creative table. Even though I have always painted, I spent most of my professional life as an administrator in eldercare settings. It has always been my goal to promote dignity and quality of life for older people. Now I get to pursue those same goals through teaching watercolors! I have taught watercolors in senior apartments, assisted living and nursing homes, including Volunteers of America, Covenant Village of Golden Valley, The Glenn of Hopkins, and Westridge Retirement Community.

Students may have significant disabilities, from dementia to diminished vision, but through encouragement, simple approaches, and a sense of play, every student can find joy in painting and learning. Studies show that creative engagement promotes health in elderly people. My own work as a teaching artist has offered me rewarding personal experiences with individuals who seem to blossom in the context of creativity, color, and new paths to self expression.