Hello Everyone,

I am Audrey Snyder.

I have taught 20 years in public schools in Pennsylvania and Maryland, USA.  My enjoyment of fantasy and make-believe characters fill my drawing portfolio.  Art making gives the artist freedom to put their ideas from their mind onto physical paper for others to see.  It is my hope that the learners I teach will feel like they may put their own spin on the concepts and themes that are taught in my drawing classes. 
I bring to OutSchool my knowledge of the elements of art and principles of design. When they are arranged well, they compose successful pictures.  My skills are pencil value shading, pen & ink, and color application.  Most of my classes offered on Outschool use these elements.  However, I like to focus on line and shape when starting the foundational drawings. The use of line is helpful.  It produces pattern, variety, movement, and texture.  All of these work together to produce fun and exciting illustrations and pictures.
In addition, I enjoy storytelling.  Many of my images connect the audience with the subject through storytelling.  For a while, I have favored comic books and picture books.  I hope to develop an Outschool class that may use storytelling with picture sequencing.
My professional background includes a Master’s Degree in Education from Walden University in 2007.  In 2003, I received my Art Education Certification for grades k-12 from Millersville University.  My Bachelor of Fine Art in Fine Art was also received from Millersville University in 1998.  Since I am a public-school art teacher, I have 60+ additional credits.  My teaching experience include the public-school systems in Carroll County, MD, Baltimore City, MD, Dorchester County, MD, and Allentown, PA, and I substitute taught in York County, PA.  
My teaching philosophy has been to build relationships and engage the children in art making based on the insights I gain in our conversations.  It is wonderful to listen to their individual stories and experiences.  The art classroom has the potential to develop a social atmosphere.  In that social atmosphere, I have opportunities to input encouragement to improve the students’ skills and give continuous feedback and praise.  In addition, art production time is also an opportunity for some students to invest in an inner motivator to be creative.  It is their moment to relax. Lastly, I have found that breaking the instruction into short segments enables children to find success in their art making.  
I like to call myself an artist-teacher-mom, because I am all those things and all those things with my two children.  I have a son that is 10 and a daughter that is 8.  Both children are creative in their own way.  I foster their creativity in our home daily.  Having them in my life has enabled me to learn more about a variety if things like dinosaurs, sharks, reptiles, owls, construction vehicles, building materials, and just exploration of the world around us.  
I hope to work with your child and motivate them with drawing and creativity.