I am exploring questions and celebrating the diversity and defiance of some of the most influential celebrities of our time. These portraits showcase the artists' unique styles and perspectives, as well as the celebrities' personalities and messages. I aim to capture how icons challenge norms and expectations of fame, gender and identity. I use watercolor, a medium often associated with delicacy and subtlety to capture the boldness and complexities of past and current icons.

I nurture creativity in the classroom by building a judgment free environment where students feel safe to experiment, take risks, and discover their own artistic voice. I introduce sensory rich, traditional as well as nontraditional techniques and show students that art can be bold, messy, and deeply personal. Identity exploration is central to my teaching. I scaffold skills such as portrait structure, color layering, and expressive mark making so students gain confidence before moving into independent creation. Students practice visual literacy, engage in reflective dialogue, and learn to articulate their choices and discoveries. My teaching is inclusive, honoring diverse learning styles and emotional needs while encouraging play, curiosity, and joy. By sharing my own practice as a working artist and studio owner, I help students see how creativity can shape identity, community, and real world possibilities.

My residency project will focus on watercolor portraiture as a practice of observation, expression, and personal storytelling. Participants will explore how to see the human face with accuracy and then translate that understanding into layered, expressive watercolor paintings. I will teach foundational drawing skills, including facial proportion and structure, followed by demonstrations of watercolor techniques such as transparent washes, value control, wet on wet and wet on dry application. Students will learn to mix skin tones for a wide range of complexions, paint expressive features, and build depth. Throughout the residency, learners will complete warm up drawing exercises, create watercolor studies of eyes, mouths, hands, and skin tones, and develop two full portraits from reference images with one on one help. A final piece will be a 11x14 watercolor portrait demonstrating accurate proportions, layered washes, expressive mark making, and a sense of personality. These completed works will be displayed during the public showcase at Lacey Eidem Art Studio, allowing participants to share their growth and creative process with the community.