I am an art teacher by day and an artist by night. 

My grandmother was an artist. She shared her love of painting with me, and so I, too, became an artist. Naturally, I have always been drawn to painting, but I fell in love with clay during my time studying Studio Art at Millikin University where I graduated with a BFA in Ceramic Sculpture as well as Acrylic Painting. While at Millikin, I also obtained my teaching degree. I then earned my Master’s in Art Education from Eastern Illinois University. I have been teaching art at the middle school level for 9 years. My favorite thing about teaching art is that I get to introduce young people to a wide variety of art mediums, all while instilling in them a level of confidence, creativity, and connection. 

I live in my hometown of Paris, Illinois with my husband, David. The house we call “home” is a special one, as I am the fifth generation to live in it. Built by my great-great-grandfather Pearman, the 228 homestead has always been in the Pearman family. Though David and I were presented with the opportunity to make it our own and fill it with new memories, I grew up knowing this home as my grandparents’, just as my mother grew up in this home knowing it as her grandparents’. The cellar, which was once a dark, damp, dreary place, is now filled with bright lights and inspiring creations. Making art is more than just a hobby for me - it is a way to breathe life back into this home, a relic that has housed generations.