ArtsNow/uLearn
Winter 2010 Instructors
Juan Aguilera C401
Juan G. Aguilera is an Industrial Designer from the University Autonoma Metropolitana in Mexico City with a pre-press specialty. He has been involved in digital publishing since the darkroom days. A self proclaimed color nut, he believes color is an independent language, with a specific grammar, spelling and intonation.
Juan is a teacher at heart, having taught geometry and design with students ranging from middle school to adults, he currently teaches Photoshop, Color Correction, Camera Raw, Fine Art Printing and Digital Photography workflow in the Northwest. He is a member of NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) and has attended several Photoshop World events.
Meredith Arnold C301, C408
Meredith Arnold teaches a variety of programs in the arts including Precious Metal Clay, polymer clay, design, metal etching, photography and more. Both art and teaching are passions that Meredith found early in life. "It is a thrill and a privilege to witness the information I've presented in a class become a reality for my students". In her own work, Meredith is fascinated with polymer clay, precious metal clay, fabric, paint, beads, glass and metals and is intrigued by the challenges of combining these materials. Her paintings, handmade books, sculpture and jewelry work has been exhibited internationally and continues to be published in books and magazines around the world.
Kobbie Alamo C502
Kobbie Alamo--Kobbie's cum-laude degree is in English Literature. Her graduate study at Michigan State University was also in English Literature with some journalism from Rutgers University tossed in. Additionally, she studied Shakespeare and Chaucer at Cambridge University, England. Her teaching credentials include expositional and creative writing at both the college and high school levels.
Currently she is an MFA student at the Whidbey Writers Workshop, a program of the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts of the Whidbey Island Writers Association.
Her publication history includes: Ghost-written New Age novel, 40 Minutes with God (Cambridge University Press), short stories, newspaper articles, magazine features. She is a recipient of the Best-Fiction Award from Michigan State.
Matt Babcock C409
Matt Babcock is an architect, sculptor and incorrigible tinkerer. He loves figuring out how to make things and talking about making things.
Monica Baird C805
Maryjane Beaufrand C515
Lynne Compton C608, C817
Lynne Compton is fascinated with helping people transform as communicators, tap into their natural presence, and express themselves with ease. She has twenty-five years of performance and teaching experience and is an Alexander Technique International certified teacher. She has taught at Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program, the University of Washington, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle Pacific University, and Freehold Acting Studio/Lab
Barbara De Pirro C450
'As an artist and instructor, I continually challenge myself, experimenting and exploring, pushing the edges of concept, technique and material. In the process, I discover new ways of approaching and expressing my own art. All of this, I openly share in my workshops. I have found that working in a range of mediums and dimensions tweaks my perspective, allowing me to see things differently; one art form inspires the other. Teaching for me is a way of stepping outside my inner world, a way of giving back. Nurturing and inspiring other artists is a calling I consciously chose and graciously accept.'
Barbara De Pirro is a painter, sculptor, installation and environmental artist, Teacher and Lecturer, sponsored by Golden Artist Colors, Inc. Her work has been commissioned and exhibited both nationally and internationally. For more information about her work; www.depirro.com
Colleen Dunlap C416
You may have spent time at C K Dunlap's studio, looking at her watercolor paintings You may have seen her mosaics and tile for the garden at the Bellevue or Edmonds Art Festivals a few years back. You could have gotten your hands dirty trying to make a tile with her. Maybe you saw her quilt at the Snohomish Council for the Arts. In 35 years as an artist Colleen has worked in many mediums but specializes in watercolor and clay. "Color in nature" is the theme of her company Snohomish Arts.
David Francis C516
David Francis has worked as an archaeologist, historical researcher, art teacher, and writing instructor. After MFA and PhD degrees in poetry from the University of Washington in the mid 1990s, he taught in Poland and Hungary as a Fulbright Lecturer. Currently a board member at the Center on Contemporary Art in Seattle, he also teaches workshops in Diverse Disciplines at Pratt Fine Arts Center and edits archaeology reports for Willamette Cultural Resources Associates in Portland, Oregon.
Mary Pat Graham C611
Mary Pat [Plymale] Graham is a Vocal Coach, Choral Conductor and Pianist who has been helping people find their voices for over thirty years. Her professional conducting experience includes work with church choirs, community choruses and the Seattle Opera Chorus. She has been a workshop presenter and consultant for church music programs and currently works as an independent voice coach. For many years Mary Pat has coached both professionals and inexperienced singers, and is particularly skilled at creating a successful singing experience for amateurs. She has developed the SING FOR YOUR LIFE program to bring the fun, joy and health benefits of singing to people of all ages and abilities.
Christine Hanchett 828
Since 2001, Chris Hanchett has been teaching a variety of apparel related courses at Edmonds Community College. The decade prior was spent working in the field of Garment Manufacturing for local companies Nordstrom and Eddie Bauer. The subjects of clothing and the manufacturing of apparel have been at the core of her professional endeavors since graduating from Western Washington University in 1990 with a double major in Apparel Marketing and Design. Chris brings her enthusiasm and love of sewing to the Arts Now program and aspires to help students accomplish the basics of the craft.
Danielle Hermeler C834
Danielle works at Amara, a nonprofit adoption agency in Seattle. In this position she has given several workshops and trainings about children in foster care and adoption to a variety of audiences. Participants often describe her teaching and presenting style as informal, interactive and engaging.
Bonnie Hodges C433
Bonnie Hodges graduated with a B.A. in Studio Arts from the University of Maryland in 1967. She worked as an illustrator for the U.S. Department of State for seven years (1962 - 1969). Since then, she has worked with galleries, and has done many private commissions. Bonnie's beautiful and life-like paintings are in the style of Realism. Bonnie prefers to work in oils and pastels, but has also done many watercolors, guaches, acrylics, oil pastels, pencils, and pen and inks. Bonnie also enjoys working with digital/computer-generated art (Painter 11, Photoshop), stained glass, and sculpture. Bonnie's work has been featured in galleries, national and international art shows, and is on display in collections in the USA and Europe.
web: www.bonniehodges.com
Bonnie’s portfolio can be viewed at http://www.bonniehodges.com/pages/portfolio.html.
Nathalye Isaacson C612, C613
Nathalye Isaacson is a Colombian native and is passionate about dancing with fifteen years of experience with Latin rhythms. She is motivated by the idea that dance is an art form and a great way to enjoy life. She has been teaching street salsa in this area for the past five years, focusing on how this dance style is danced and lived in Latin American towns. She added Zumba to her repertoire because it is a fitness class with a party atmosphere that allows her to express and enjoy the enthusiastic energy intrinsic in Latin American rhythms.
Ruoxiao Ji C418
Jean is a well-known artist and Professor in the field of Advanced Chinese Sumi Painting.She is an MFA and BFA of Sumi in China.She has been teaching Chinese Sumi Painting for the past 25 years in University,She given solo exhibitions and lectures at the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Beijing,Washington State University,University of California at Berkeley, and San Francisco Art Institute. Her publications include three books on the theory and techniques of Chinese Sumi Painting. She occasionally won awards in international Sumi Art Competitions etc
Steve Johann C818
Steve Johann is the owner of Sound Image Solutions a Promotional Products Company. He is the Producer and Co-host of Hog Radio a weekly Pod Cast/Radio show. He is also a Freelance writer with columns in three publications. Steve’s passions are creating, communicating, encouraging, inspiring and assisting individuals and business owners with freeing themselves of their limitations. He believes that everyone has the ability to live out a fully productive and satisfying life based on meaning and passion.
Lisa JonesMoore C420
Lisa JonesMoore is a graduate of Colorado State University, with a BFA in Fine Art and Graphic Design. After working as a designer in Denver, San Francisco and Seattle for over fifteen years, Lisa decided to pursue her passion for painting, mixed media and collage.
Encaustic collage has been a particularly interesting and passionate pursuit for Lisa over the past five years, and "the scent of warm beeswax is glorious…". The end result is very durable, yet looks ephemeral in nature. Lisa includes many items in her collages--such as fabric, digital photos from her world travels, discarded tickets and papers, bottle caps, rusty nails and hinges, sand, hardware parts and disassembled jewelry.
"I have always loved the idea of using recycled and discarded items in my artwork…. It's my tiny contribution to preserving our beautiful environment."
Lisa also loves making altered books and personal shrines as a way to connect with herself and other artists on a creative level. Lisa's works are part of private collections in the Northwest, Midwest and East coast of the United States. Her mixed media work has been published in Cloth•Paper•Scissors and Somerset Studio magazines.
Doug Keith C432
Doug Keith has over thirty years experience in illustration, graphic design and fine art. His versatility has earned awards including a television Emmy for graphic design and several Publisher's Marketing Association honors for children’s picture book illustration.
Lisa Lady C425
Seattle artist Lisa Snow Lady has a BA in Fine Art/Art History and a BFA in painting from the UW. She has been creating mixed media monotypes for the last 15 years incorporating a variety of printmaking processes into her prints. Her love of botanical form and studies in horticulture are reflected in her work. She is represented by SAM Gallery Rentals and Sales, Baas Gallery, Museo on Whidbey Island and has work in the collections of the UW Medical Center, Evergreen Hospital, and Safeco Corporation. Lisa maintains a studio in Ballard.
Wendy Lee Lynds C428
Believing that creativity is our birthright, but realizing that fear can paralyze the creative soul, Wendy Lee Lynds seeks to bring the joy of creating into everything she does. For as long as she can remember, Wendy wanted to be a visual artist but let fear and choosing a more traditional life-path, keep her away from her heart's desire. For a million reasons, and one motorcycle man from Utah, she radically changed her life, and has been living her dream on beautiful Whidbey Island since 2005, creating multi-layered, textural works in collage, encaustics and now, printmaking. Happily, she recently 'caught' the teaching bug and loves sharing her joy of art-making!
Susan Martinez C808
Susan Martinez, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, moved to the United States in 1984 after living in Spain for 13 years. She has traveled extensively throughout all of South and Central America. She has a degree in Architecture from the University of Buenos Aires and a masters degree from the University of Seville in Spain. She, also, continues to read and write poetry. Her rich background allows her to follow the interests of her students as she works with them to improve their Spanish speaking skills while having a great deal of fun.
Jennifer McCord C304
Jennifer McCord is a writer, editor, educator, and publishing consultant in
Seattle WA. Throughout her 25 year career in the book business, Jennifer
has worked in nearly ever aspect of the publishing industry‹from traditional publication paths to small press and self-publishing ventures. For many years, she has dedicated her experience to the success of the Northwest writing community‹as UW Extension Advisory board member, President of The Seattle Free Lances, the Advisory Board for the Fine Writing Program at Edmonds Community College and as past president of PNWA. She currently lends her expertise in the book business to writers and publishers through her consulting and coaching business, Jennifer McCord Associates.
www.jennifermccord.com
Dan Neish C431
Dan Neish, is an Edmonds Community College art instructor. Dan graduated from the University of Washington with a Master’s of Fine Arts. His area of expertise is ceramics. He has had many solo exhibits in Seattle and been in invitational exhibits across the country.
Timothy Nichols C803 I have worked in the beer industry for the last twelve years giving brewery tours, working beer festivals, holding private beer tastings, and currently work at a bar that is a brewer’s hangout, and specializes in local microbreweries and Belgian Beer. I currently handle all of the beer tasting events at the alehouse, as well as educate the staff and help select most of our seasonal offerings.
Chuck Notestone C836
Ray Pfortner C311, C434
Ray has worked in photography for over 20 years – as photographer, educator, stock agent, editor, and consultant. He teaches and consults on the business of art and on photography across the US. Ray received Bellevue College’s 2008 Margin of Excellence Award and the North American Nature Photography Association’s 2006 Recognition Award for making a difference with his photography and its 2003 Fellow Award for career contributions in nature photography. His photography is widely published. His primary interest is in coaching new talent and in having art and especially photography seen and sold. Ray holds a Masters from Duke and a BS from Yale.
Patricia Ridenour C437
Patricia Ridenour is an award winning, internationally published, fine art and commercial photographer. She has won multiple awards in The International Photography Awards, done the series posters for The Seattle Opera, a book by Random House, and been published in Vogue, Mirabella, Conde Nast, and Travel Leisure magazines. She is on the faculty of The Photographic Center Northwest in Seattle, along with teaching travel photography for Rick Steves Europe Through the Backdoor.
Rebecca Ross C830
An architect for 20 years, Rebecca Ross became involved in helping people tackle their clutter problems as a prior step to introducing feng shui applications or energy clearing in a space. Her blend of practical organizing skills, personal warmth and humor supports her clients in creating balanced nurturing environments in which to live and work. In her career as an architect and network administrator Rebecca developed pragmatic skills in both spatial and informational organization. As a practitioner of meditation and T’ai Chi she is experienced in balancing energy and cultivating stillness in body, mind and surroundings. Rebecca’s ability to clear environmental energies provides a more subtle level of assistance in creating a "composed domain". With her assistance each client is empowered to create meaningful and lasting change.
Stacey Schwartz C804
Jeffry Steele C616
Jeffry Steele is a composer, guitarist and music educator with a Masters in Composition from New England Conservatory. He has written for Modern Dance productions, Public TV and has released six CDs of his arrangements and compositions. He presently teaches in his home studio and for the Metropolitan Opera Guild. This course evolved from a class he taught last year at MassBay Community College.
Bruce Taylor C507
Bruce Taylor, aka. “Mr. Magic Realism” is best known for his writing of Magic Realism, and surrealism and, more recently,. in the anthology, The Bizarro Starter Kit (wwwbizarrogenre.org) Bruce is called one of the “ …ten … leading authors in the bizarro genre.” Bruce has three books in print, The Final Trick of Funnyman and Other Stories (www.FairwoodPress.com), Kafka’s Uncle and Other Strange Tales (www.Afterbirthbooks.com). His third book, Edward: Dancing on the Edge of Infinity came out in November, 2007 from RedJack books. Presently, Bruce has two more books coming out; a novella, 13 Miles to Paradise will appear with three other novellas from three writers in a collection titled Amblican (Golem Press) which is to be released at the 2008 World Fantasy Convention in Calgary, and another book, The Tails of Alleymanderous and Other Odd Tails (www.subatomicbooks.com) will come out mid-2009. Currently under editorial consideration: Stormworld (co-authored with Brian Herbert), The Mountains of the Night, and Kafka’s Uncle: the Unfortunate Sequel and Other Insults to the Morally Perfect. Bruce has just completed two new books, Kafka’s Uncle: the Ghastly Prequel and Other Stories of Love and Pathos in the World’s Most Powerful, Third-World Banana Republic, and The Magic of Wild Places, a sequel to The Mountains of the Night. Bruce was Writer in Residence at Shakespeare & Company, Paris, and former Co-Director, The Wellness Program, Harborview Medical Center. He’s also a hypnotherapist and was Vice-president, Switchback Backpacks, manufacturer of hard-shell backpacks.
Recently, Bruce has accepted the position of president of the Seattle Free Lances, the oldest (1921) and reputed to be the most respected, professional writers group in the Northwest.
Patricia Treger C400
Patti Treger received her BFA in Painting/Drawing and Art Education from the University of Illinois, studied Art History at the UW, and Art Therapy at Antioch. For over 25 years, she has worked as a professional designer, multimedia artist and photographer. Since 2005, she has taught figure, portrait and pastel drawing to both adults and teens at Kirkland Arts Center and Pratt Fine Arts Center. She is currently involved with assisting college-bound teen artists with portfolio creation and art college application processes.
Karen Ulvestad C440
Karen Ulvestad started her photography career shooting sports. She loved the action, and the challenge of creating a photograph using stop action. Her mainstay was competitive swimming, though she ventured into running and other athletic activities. She next stepped into shooting landscapes. She loved the line, form and texture that can be created in a photograph. After mastering Landscape, she moved to photographing children. It was more fun than Landscapes, because they like to move and explore the world. She’s continued with children, and added birds, wildlife, performance and stock photography to her experiences. She’s been teaching photography on and off since 2003, and enjoys the classroom experiences.
Chia-Chia Wang C811
Chia-Chia Wang (王家嘉) loves to teach and guide students at all ages to learn the beauty of Chinese language, as well as its people and rich culture. She was born and grew up in Taiwan. She came to the US to study and received a MA in Education from University of Colorado in 1999. Currently, Ms. Wang teaches at elementary and middle schools in Seattle metro. She is also experienced in teaching formal and private adult class for many years.
Before becoming a language teacher, Ms. Wang has worked as a Chinese newspaper journalist and magazine editor for many years both in Taiwan and America. Her Chinese language class is creative and rich in culture. It is her wish that her class would help to link the West to Chinese people and culture. The following quote would best reflect the message that she try to pass to her students:
"Through learning language, we learn about culture. Through learning about culture, we learn respect for others. Through learning respect for others, we can hope for peace."
Michael Wewer C441, C442
Michael Wewer has taught photography at Edmonds CC for over a decade. His photographic images radiates out in all four directions from his home in Seattle. They take you as far south as Mono Lake and the Sierra Nevada Range in California; East to the Grand Tetons of Wyoming and the Sawtooth Range in Idaho; West to the rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula and as far North as Vancouver Island. Michael's work represents pristine areas with the hope of giving a person a sense of place and gratitude for still having such a vast number of places to escape. The intent is to capture these wild spaces with the idea of protecting them. The overall positive and negative footprint people leave behind are exemplified in his work as well. These footprints can range from recreation and preservation to clearing the land without thought.
Kelly Williams C800, C801
Kelly Williams has has a degree in Business from Central Washington University. He has been a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Edmonds since 1995 and has previoulsy worked in realestate and accounting..
Candace Wilson C513
Candace Wilson is an engaging and experienced teacher who has taught classes in topics such as journaling, memoirs writing, writing as a tool for self-care, and conflict resolution. She has also led weekend retreats and workshops. As a memoirs consultant, Ms. Wilson works with clients to complete the memoir or autobiography they envision. She also works as a commercial freelance writer, helping business clients with all of their writing needs.
Mi Wu C445
Mi Wu received her MFA in Ceramics from Northern Illinois University. She currently teaches ceramics at Bellevue Community College. She is a ceramic and mixed media artist with a focus on abstract sculpture. More about her work can be viewed at http://www.geocities.com/miwumiwu/
Kristi Zevenbergen C447
Kristi Zevenbergen teaches beading, wirecraft and metalsmithing in the Seattle Area, designing projects that enable students to learn technique. “I enjoy watching the process of discovery as students begin to imagine and discuss new possibilities. Teaching gives me a chance to impart the joy of creating and to give others the permission to create just for the sake of creating. ”. In her own work she uses the process of “responding” to what she sees before her, choosing from a variety of techniques to accomplish a finished piece. “ I’m happiest when I am able to make art freely without the boundaries of marketplace aesthetics”. Inspiration for her pieces comes from old things and things in nature
