About Sasha
Arriving here
I have wanted a teaching studio since I was in my twenties.
I wasn’t ready then. I had work to do, and I did it — four decades in education across K–12 special education, university teaching, ESL, and fine arts. I worked long days. Seven days a week. Through holidays. Through everything.
Somewhere along the way, I realized I needed to slow down. I knew it in my head long before I knew how to do it.
My training in expressive arts — including SoulCollage® — taught me how to embody that slowing. Art became a way to experience time differently. Not rushed. Not performative. Not frantic. Deliberate. Attentive. Human.
This studio grows from that lived understanding.
I believe anyone can learn to make art.
I believe skill can be taught.
I believe careful attention changes how we see, and how we see shapes how we live.
Where I began
I come from a social reconstructivist tradition in education. I believe art matters beyond decoration. Learning to notice, to interpret, and to create with intention strengthens not only individuals, but communities. In Jewish tradition there is a phrase, tikkun olam — repairing the world. That idea has shaped my life and my teaching. Not as ideology. As responsibility. As care. This studio is not built on urgency or spectacle. It is built on skill, steadiness, and respect.
How I teach
I am a thoughtful teacher. I teach foundations — drawing, color, composition, material fluency — while also guiding process. I often think of teaching as midwifery: structured, attentive, responsive. You are not here to copy me. You are here to develop your own eye and hand.
I do not try to be everything to everyone. That is humanly impossible — and unsustainable.
What guides my teaching:
- Skill-based instruction
- A calm, structured environment
- Respect across ages and abilities
- A neurodiversity-affirming perspective
- Careful attention to materials and proces
- Serious making without intimidation
Some people come to relax and make something beautiful. Others come to learn deeply. Many discover they enjoy both.
You do not have to be an artist to begin. You only have to be willing.
What people are saying … “Sasha is dedicated to helping people to learn how they learn and practice simple ways to improve their lives by spending more time enjoying their creative projects, passions, and pursuits.”
Dr. C. Lopez, former Director of Bilingual Education, Detroit Public Schools, Assistant Superintendent, Ypsilanti Community Schools