Q&A with Museo Art Academy Instructor: Ms. Ashley

We love working with fabulous instructors here at Museo Art Academy. We know you don't get a lot of time to get to know them before or after classes, which is a shame because they're amazing! So we asked them all the hard-hitting questions we know you'd want to ask them yourselves.  
 
First up is our director and fellow instructor, Ashley McDaniels. Ashley teaches weekly classes and special events (like Masters Night and Summer Camp), develops curriculum, and keeps the studio running like a well-oiled machine. Along with our founder, Marci Knutsen, Ashley is the heart and soul of Museo Art Academy.

What is your first memory with art? 

My mom would put large paper on the fridge and give me paint to get wild with...generally I was not clothed. The pictures are priceless! 

What is your favorite medium? 

PRINTMAKING :)))

Who is your favorite artist (or art movement)? Ok, you can pick two. 

All of them... but I very much enjoy Art Nouveau and the impact of the art created by Alfonse Mucha and Toulouse Lautrec. I also like Post-Impressionists like van Gogh. 

Why did you become an art teacher?

I enjoy inspiring the same passion I have for art in my students and know it is something that lacks in the general education system. 

What do you love about teaching?

That "aha!" moment when a realization or the teaching has sunk in. Also, watching them improve. 

What are your hobbies outside of Museo Art Academy? 

I have no life outside of Museo...(just kidding). Working on my own art, planning my wedding, camping, fishing (all kinds), hiking, being with friends, and cats :)

What advice would you give someone who loves art?

Follow your passion. Don't let "them" tell you you can't make it as an artist. If you have enough passion you will be just fine. Go to art school or major in art if that is truly what you love. At the end of one's college journey everyone gets a degree, it is what you do with that piece of paper that really matters. 

You can read more about Miss Ashley here.

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