Influential Art Moments

At age 5 (1990) I remember watching TV and seeing an ad for Art Instruction Schools. Although very young, I loved art and was eager to build a strong foundation. I remember having my mother call the 1-800 number and within a month the “Art Test” arrived. With excitement I opened the mail, unfolded the test and began to follow the instructions - drawing a pirate, a house, a turtle, etc. I returned the test via mail and waited patiently. Approximately 8 weeks had passed and I finally received a letter back from Art Instructions Schools! I was not accepted into the school and was absolutely crushed. 35 Years later and I still think about it often. I was disheartened; however, it has pushed me to improve at a young age - something I continue to do in my 40s.

At age 8 or 9, I entered an art contest through my school, a catholic elementary school, St. Elizabeth Ann. Seton. I do not remember the specific contest, the scope or the actual art I submitted; however, I do remember winning 1st place and taking home $100! I spent that money on Legos.

Being the 2nd oldest of seven (7) children, I unfortunately moved around a bit - leading to a few school changes at pivotal times. In 7th grade, I entered my fourth school - a catholic school in Northport, NY (Suffolk County). The changes were not easy on me - making it difficult to make friends, eventually leading to bullying. I was able to push through and graduate middle school in 1999 - the same year my art was chosen for the cover of the yearbook! I may have had limited friends, but my art kept me focused and gave me a touch of confidence to keep me going.

I was off to High School in the fall of 1999. Now being part of a larger student body (approximately 400) I was able to find myself, find new friends and find new art classes - specifically two art teachers that I keep in touch with to this day! These teachers, Mr. Pop and Mrs. Levinson helped foster my art skills, build a foundation and keep an open door when needed. Having both Art Educators not only helped me at that juncture but for the past 25+ years. Both Mr. Pop and Mrs. Levinson inspired me to the point that I am happily following in their footsteps a quarter of a century later - with their blessings.

Initially in 2003 - after graduating from HS, I wasn’t quite sure my future was art. I went down to Virginia Tech as undeclared - taking prerequisite courses for an eventual degree in business. However, by the end of my freshman year I was bored and began to dabble with Adobe Photoshop. Art was calling for me, this time through my computer. I answered the call and half way through my sophomore year, I was accepted into VT’s School of Graphic Design. In hindsight, Graphic Design wasn’t specifically an influential moment for me; however, it was the fine art electives that I took here and there to graduate. It didn’t occur to me at the time but these fine art classes filled my art bucket and my future was not as a graphic design artist.

In 2007 I graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Graphic Design yet decided to take a job in insurance - the family business. In hindsight, this decision was pivotal to my overall art journey - as I truly believe, had I taken a job in graphic design 17+ years ago, I would not be writing these bullets today! This decision is part of my journey and has lead to new levels of passion geared towards art and education.

In 2016, my mother - an artist at heart and math educator by day, passed away. My mother was always my biggest supporter and advocate - especially for art. She pushed me to stay in touch with my artistic side and I looked to her as a creative muse and inspirational educator. At her service, countless students shared the room and beautiful stories of how my mother touched their lives. She may have passed on, but her presence felt stronger than ever. Her legacy lived on through her family, her teaching and her students. This was the first moment that I contemplated a future in education.

Two years after my mother passed away in 2018 (almost to the day), my daughter Briar, was born - appropriately with the middle name, Lynn, in honor of my mother. I still had vibrant memories of creating art as a child with my mother, and now my daughter and I we’re doing the same. In 2021 my daughter began nursery school and for the first time in over a decade, I was creating art daily again. This time it was for my daughter’s snack bag. These daily bags became teaching moments, as we started to work in tandem. Briar began to ask for guidance, ask for techniques and inquire on new mediums. At this point, the true art educator in me was awoken.

In early 2024 I made the decision to head back to school via Adelphi’s Masters in Art Education. Coincidentally, the same month I received my Adelphi acceptance letter, my wife shared wonderful news of a pregnancy. We were expecting another girl! A baby and school was going to be a challenge; however, I felt supported and passionate about the future - and chose to push forward with my career change! In October of 2024, during my first fall semester of school, we welcomed the newest addition to our family, Campbell Catherine.

With a year of schooling left, I officially resigned from my insurance job in the summer of 2025 and took my first teaching job as a lead art educator at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts. This was an amazing experience and provided me with a classroom-setting for 8 full weeks teaching Comic Art to grades 2nd-12th. Although only two months of teaching, I look forward to a lifetime more.

The Dad with an Appetite for Art! The Educator who’s Hungry to Teach!