I have always been passionate about art. I am very lucky to have had such encouraging parents who praised every little masterpiece! I studied Art at college and got to experiment in all fields of expressions from woodwork and ceramics to painting and textiles. I choose to specialize in studio practice during my BA in Fine Arts at the University of Chester, UK. After graduating with honors I joined the British Army and completed various tours including Afghanistan. My primary role was that of a combat medic, but worked alongside this as war artist. I was known as a serial sketcher by my fellow comrades capturing my environment through vivid sketches at any given opportunity. It was during my time in the army I discovered my second passion, teaching! As part of my role as a Battalion medic, I delivered interactive lessons in trauma and primary care in preparation for deployments.
Creating a family masterpiece with my mini artists

After completing my service with the British Army I chose to combine my two passions and pursued my second degree in Education at Bath Spa University in the UK. I became a High School teacher of Art and Design. I had the privilege of teaching the fundamentals of fine art in all fields. This opportunity helped me achieve a vast wealth of experience. I developed and ran specialized programs to suit all abilities from gifted and talented to special educational needs. It was here I learned that art really is a universal language and an invaluable vehicle of expression. 

In 2009 I moved to the United States with my husband whom I met whilst serving in Afghanistan.  As he continued his career as a US Marine, My intent was to continue teaching in local Southern California Schools. It soon became apparent that Art was no longer available in most public schools, as funding would no longer allow it. I decided to create an organization that focused on keeping art alive.  I spent my first year in America developing my own curriculum that enabled me to teach a completely individualized program to all ages and abilities. I was dedicated to providing a high quality art program that enriched our community.

In 2010 I opened my first McArt Studio in Southern California. It grew so fast that I soon had a team of teachers equally as dedicated to keeping art alive as I. More studios followed soon after.  My hands on teaching day in and day out allowed me to perfect my curriculum. It is specially designed and structured to develop each student’s artistic skill set. As McArt Studio continued to grow, I found myself being overwhelmed by requests to provide our curriculum to students outside of our demographic. This is when I came up with a whole new concept, Virtual McArt. I wanted to deliver the same high quality curriculum that students could progress through independently. With virtual McArt I am able to deliver the same passion, energy and knowledge to students anywhere in the world. Students get to interact with each other and receive expert coaching and encouragement every step of their artistic adventure. Our ever developing archive of lessons is readily available on any device at any time. Students can even request specialized lessons. You can brows our lessons here and even try a class for yourself.