Instructor Information

My name is Susan West. I have been married for 26 years to my husband, Larry, who is a pharmacist for Presbyterian hospital. I have three children. My son, Greg, is 16, and my twin daughters, Jennifer and Jessica, are age 13. My children attend Plano public schools. We have lived in the Dallas area for 16 years.

Education

I have a BFA in Design from the University of Houston. In the past twenty three years I have gained experience as a freelance watercolor artist, draftsman, advertising artist, and art teacher. I have done commissions for corporations such as Bluebell Ice Cream and advertising art for national health groups. Aside from teaching classes at the Artists Loft, I also teach art full time at a local high school.

Teaching Philosophy

I love teaching, art because it gives me the privilege of handing people a tool to express what is inside them, and encouraging them to achieve at their own skill level. Some are pursuing art as a hobby and others looking toward a career. I feel a responsibility to reach both. There are three levels of teaching I use to do this. They are instruction, interaction, and inspiration. I provide the instruction, the other students provide the interaction, and field trips provide the inspiration. Watching a student’s confidence blossom in this teaching environment is pure pleasure for me. It is truly why I teach.