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Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Elizabeth Vazquez, I’m a wife, a mother (of an amazingly talented daughter), and a Substitute Paraprofessional. I’m also an alumna of The City College of New York with a Bachelors in the arts. My educational journey in The City College of New York was truly wonderful. It was there that I realized my passion for art education. I realize that my passion gets stronger the more I teach my daughter about the different mediums and in shadowing teachers and watching how the teachers in particular art teachers would instruct children how to paint. I have watched elementary middle and high school students paint using watercolor sure at times messy but so much fun to watch to see  the excitement the children demonstrated brought me sheer joy. I know that teaching art is my purpose in life.

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Because I have seen first hand how art has helped my daughter Emma through life's challenges like her having a reading disability Dyslexia and Hashimoto Hypothyroidism it helps her focus and changes her perspective for the better. Emma and I finger painted together since she was nine months using her body at times to watercolor. Emma is now a young adult. She loves mixing colors to create secondary colors. She enjoys watercolor. She also uses acrylic when painting. Emma is usually drawing her heart out most of the time. Emma is very bold and creative in her art work.  Her last watercolor art piece is stunning. The colors Emma chose and the technique she used in her brush strokes in my opinion resembled a sunset.  I made a wood sculpture in one of my studio art classes. I created a face with kinetic eyes because at the time my daughter that was in the first grade would not tell me how her day went my daughter would move the eyes to show me how she felt. I would use the watercolor and write out a letter that she was having trouble with and she would want to do the same. My child is loving caring emotionally, socially and intellectually intelligent because of the arts when she is really upset or sad she takes out her easel, canvas, and watercolor or acrylic and starts painting though she really does not need a reason. Though my daughter endured a lot of bullying in school her love of learning has returned and it is largely due to the arts she is even saying she wants to go to college and wants to be an artist and an art teacher.

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I want to use my love and passion of the arts to help children express themselves through art and let them see that they can create their own picture. Though their life circumstances may not be ideal they decide just like when they choose the colors they use in watercolor or acrylic they have a say how big their dreams will be.

 

Art has helped me throughout my life. I remember when I was in High School and not being sure of myself and my place in the world I visited the Museum of Modern Art and saw for the first time Frida Kahlo’s artwork it was at that point that I felt I was not alone in the world I identified myself with her as a woman of color and that gave me hope. Art saved my life. I know that art is a tool that can be used to save children.