Susan Schwake

Susan Schwake grew up in a creative family with her father painting and her mother playing music. Her mother supported her interest in art from a very young age and made sure that she followed her dream. Doing just that, Susan studied fine art at Plymouth State University with a concentration in painting and printmaking in the 70's. Since that time she has continued her studies by working daily in her studios, and with master classes in the processes of making art. 

For the past 16 years she has run an independent art school, which she developed and opened for children and adults. She also has worked as an artist in residence in many public and private schools and community organizations. For the past eight years the art school has been part of artstream. Susan has also curated over 60 exhibits at artstream and has been a guest curator at other venues.

Her work has been collected and exhibited around the US and the UK, Germany, Bulgaria, Canada, Mexico and Romania. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and has created public art works for the city of Portsmouth, NH and Rochester, NH where she lives with her husband Rainer and two children. She markets her artwork through her site and others on the internet and in galleries around New England.

Her first book will be released by Rockport Publishers on March 1, 2012.  It is filled with the lessons she has taught for 20 years to both children and adults.

She is pretty excited about life!

Amber Lavalley

In 2004, Amber graduated from Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA, where she received her BFA in painting.  She spent two years living in Boston, working in a contemporary American craft gallery. Since moving back to Rochester, she has shown her work at Market 100 in Portsmouth, and Artstream, and in 2008 won Portsmouth Herald’s Spotlight Award in visual art. She has continued to expand her body of work while pursing her other interests in education, and has recently received a degree in behavioral science. She has also worked for the Monarch school’s enrichment program directed by Susan Schwake, and is currently working in a specialized preschool. This is the third year Amber has taught classes at Artstream.

Cada Driscoll holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education from Plymouth State University (2009) and is a New Hampshire certified art teacher.

She has taught art in the public schools and in a variety of summer programs for youth. In her art classes she aims to promote creativity and problem solving through the use of art processes and materials in an exciting and supportive way.

As an artist, her primary medium is clay, and she enjoys creating sculptures as well as functional pottery. When not teaching or creating art, Cada can be found enjoying outdoor activities, African dancing, baking and yoga.

Tracy graduated from Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire in 2009 with a BFA in painting and a minor in Art History.  She has shown work both at PSU and in the Lakes Region. 

She worked at the Sandy Martin Gallery in Wolfeboro in 2010, where she also taught childrens’ art classes to individual students.  She also currently has paintings on display there.

Nicholas Ellard is a New Hampshire artist and Art Educator who lives and paints in Dover. A graduate of Montserrat College of Art, Nick went on to obtain his Art Education certification from Maine College of Art. His works range from portraiture and landscapes to mixed media pieces.

www.nickellard.com