Hello everyone! My name is Claudia and I’m honored to create with IA’s amazing artists as their new 2D Art teacher! I just moved from northern California where I grew up in Folsom (near Sacramento and Tahoe), went to Academy of Art University in San Francisco (with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration), and taught Beginning Art, Intermediate Art, and Intro to Art History to high schoolers in the east Bay Area for the last 2 years.
In addition to art, I have a certificate in Literary Publishing and am a published poetry writer, editor, illustrator, and featured artist for the 2019 issue of American River Review literary magazine. I’ve also worked at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the Entertainment department through their Disney College Program internship so I’m a huge fanatic and have a very outgoing, youthful spirit because of it. I was inspired to teach after getting my art degree and working for a local “paint and sip” studio leading painting classes for both adults and kids. I received my Single-Subject Art teaching credentials at San Diego State University where I fell in love with the beautiful environment and vibrant community of San Diego so when I saw an opportunity to come back to teach at Innovations, I knew it was fate!
I’ve always wanted to teach younger students as art has been my biggest passion ever since I was a kid and my favorite childhood memories both at school and in my free time with friends. It really shaped my creativity with innovation, fine motor skills, imagination and visualization, problem solving through critical thinking, self-confidence as well as collaboration by observing other artists and styles. All of this and more is why art is so important and vital to the development of young minds who are not only discovering the world around them but also who they are inside. I truly believe anyone can be an artist and we are all capable of creating and inspiring others. This is why I teach and am so excited to be a part of their journey of self discovery and expression!
When I’m not doing art, I love dressing up and performing especially as Disney princesses and superheroes to sing, dance, face paint, and balloon twist for parties, events, and children’s hospitals. I also love animals with a life-long obsession of cats. I’m always drinking sweet tea, eating cheesy things, watching funny YouTube videos, and surrounding myself with rainbows and glitter galore!