Greenleaf Art Center Teaching Staff:
Gina Fitpatrick
Gina is a certified yoga instructor and
operator of Yoga Break Chicago, teaches yoga to teens, tweens, mommy and
babies, and adults in a corporate setting. She likes to keep her classes
light and playful and encourages her students to find their own way to move
through yoga postures.
Darick Maasen
Darick Maasen is a seasoned caricature artist and professional illustrator.
Appearing at Six Flags, private parties and countless festivals.
Lorelei MacBeth
Lorelei has a masters in teaching from Columbia College
and has taught fine arts at Chicago’s Farragut Career Academy HIgh
School since 2001. She studied painting, sculpture and printmaking at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison and at Studio Arts Center International in
Florence, Italy.
Sarah B. Ellis Nyktas
Sarah is an artist and designer from Michigan who
knits whenever she has a spare moment. She loves printmaking and digital
media but has found her needles and yarn to be a more portable craft. She
first learned to knit at the age of 10, but did not take it up seriously
until about 8 years ago. Memories of her grandfather's clever knit creations
still inspire her today
Laura Olear
Laura Olear has been painting, drawing, curating, framing, and medical illustrating
for over 20 years. Exhibits locally and nationally. Former Instructor of
Art Foundations - Illinois Institute of Art. MFA in Painting Savannah College
of Art & Design, BFA in Painting & Drawing The School of the Art
Institute of Chicago.
Kathleen Paluch
Kathleen has a BFA from Mundelein College/Loyola University. She has more
than 30 years of experience teaching children and young adults. Kathleen
is one of the founders of the Greenleaf Art Center.
David Penna
David has degrees from The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
and The School of Visual Arts, New York, NY. He's taught Painting and Drawing
plus Design in both private individual and group classes.
Karen Perl
Karen is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute where she studied
painting and drawing with a strong emphasis on the figure. She was one
of the winners of the 2005 Midwestern Competition of New American Painters
and is represented by Packer-Schopf Gallery in Chicago.
Judith McCabe Renner
Judith holds a degree from the American Academy of
Art. She studied with Richard Schmid at Palette and Chisel, and worked for
the Calabash Animation Studio at Tree Studios in Chicago. Judith has exhibited
in numerous venues and is collected internationally including some pieces
in the Kamp Gallery at the Drake Hotel Chicago.
Janet Lynn Rooney
Janet holds numerous degrees in painting and design. Presently she is an
Adjunct Professor at both Harrington College of Design, Chicago and Columbia
College, Chicago. She has also been the Guest Artist at the School of the
Art Institute of Chicago.
Shawn Sargent
Shawn is an artist and writer with a degree from the School
of the Art Institute. She also studied at School of the Museum of Fine Arts
in Boston before moving to Chicago, and has taught art and academics in private
and small group settings. She currently works as a freelance editor while
continuing to create photo-based art that has been exhibited nationally and
selected for book and journal covers.
Jill Sutton
Jill has a MFA, California College of the Arts; BFA, Washington University
in St. Louis. Teaching experience includes Evanston Art Center, Old Town
Triangle Association, Civic Arts Education, Walnut Creek, CA, California
College of the Arts, , Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis, MO. Has exhibited
throughout the Midwest and California. Represented by Melanee Cooper Gallery
in Chicago.
Renee Witherwax
Renee holds a BFA in Printmaking from the University of Nebraska, and an
MFA in Printmaking from Ohio State University. She has taught printmaking,
painting, drawing and graphic design at a variety of institutions including
Ohio State, Wright State and the Dayton Art Insitute plus Chicago Printmakers'
Collaborative. She is a freelance graphic designer and continues to paint & draw.