I am a guest art teacher for grades K-12 in schools throughout Skagit and Snohomish counties. I provide both year-long learning plans, as well as single lessons for teachers looking to provide their students with the value of visual arts education.
As an artist and educator, I believe the classroom is a magical place, similar to an artist's studio, where students can be curious about the world around them and experiment while developing the critical thinking and collaborative skills they'll need throughout their learning journey.
I live and work in Skagit County, Washington. I am a 1995 graduate from Western Washington University with portfolios in painting, illustration, and graphic design. I worked as a user experience designer from 1996 to 2016, at companies like Microsoft and Sierra. In 2025, I completed the Washington State Arts Commission's Teaching Artist Training Lab (TATLab), and have since been teaching art for grades K-12. I teach throughout Skagit County via the Museum of Northwest Art's Creative Connections program, and in Snohomish County via Spark! Creativity.
Learn more: View Full CV
How can you make art with found objects and non-art materials?
Students will learn how to see art in unintentional places and objects. Students will learn how artists in the past have used found objects to make works of art. Students will make their own collage art with found objects.
Class: 50-60 minutes | Prep: 15-30 minutes
Art skills: assemblage and sculpting. Transferable skills: visual thinking strategies, imagination, storytelling, experimentation, and recycling. State standard: VA:Cr1.2.1 - Use observation and investigation in preparation for making a work of art.
How can you express yourself through a self-portrait?
Students will learn about self-portraits and how to use fabric collage to make a meaningful image of themselves.
Class: 50-60 minutes | Prep: 30-60 minutes
Art skills: portraiture, fabric art, collage, planning, and design. Transferable skills: visual thinking strategies, self-identity, and recycling. State standard: VA:Cr2.2.3 - Demonstrate an understanding of the safe and proficient use of materials, tools, and equipment for a variety of artistic processes.
More sample plans coming soon...
I am close to full capacity for residencies for the 2026/2027 school year. However, I do still have openings for individual classes. If you would like a consultation for your students, please feel free to contact me so I can create the perfect art lesson for their purposes.
Contact me: art@donwesley.com
I am happy to announce that on May 14th, I completed the Washington State Art Commission's Teaching Artist Training Lab. This was a six month cohort of 24 teaching artists from throughout the state, whose expertise included studio art, writing, dance, music, and theater. I was lucky enough to be in the 'River and Flow' sub-cohort under the mentorship of Carina del Rosario. This program gave me the skills to develop art-based lesson plans for grades K-12, and beyond. In addition to correlating my lesson plan designs with the state's art requirements, I also learned how I can apply additional social and cultural frameworks, to help prepare children for a successful future in our shared world. I am so very thankful for this program and the progress I made in these past six months.
ARTISTS: If you are an artist who has teaching experience, and are interested in learning more about the TAT Lab program, feel free to reach out to me, with your questions.
Learn more: ArtsWA: Teaching Artist Training Lab
I am very happy to also announce that I have joined the teaching artist team at Spark! Creativity in Edmonds. Spark! Creativity serves Snohomish County schools, including the Edmonds School District. With Spark! Creativity, I'll be teaching art to grades K-8. Many thanks to founder Tanya Sharp for this opportunity to bring arts education to more students and communities.
Learn more: Spark! Creativity
Since February, here in Skagit County, I have been teaching integrated art classes through the Museum of Northwest Art's Creative Connections program, where local schools invite teaching artists to augment their current class focus with an art project. My first chance to teach was for Timathi Fitzpatrick's 1st grade class at Baker Lake Elementary, this past February. I was very touched to learn that her students requested for me to come teach animation because they'd seen my animated art online. For them, I created a lesson plan about animation using flipbooks. Each student created both a rough draft idea and also a final flipbook. It was really cool that the principal and another student teacher participated as well. It felt like the room was all on the same page together in working to make their animated scenes come to life.
Another fun class I recently taught through the program, coincided with the Edison Elementary 8th grade science classes, and ther study of genetics. For about 40 students I created a partner project where teams of two decide the genetic profile for a pair of short-eared owls. Using the profiles of the two parent owls, the students then created two offspring. Their creations were a delight and you could see the student's both learning and developing storylines along the way.
Learn more: Museum of Northwest Art: Creative Connections
LA CONNER - I am so excited to announce that I have been accepted as a teaching artist for the Museum of Northwest Art's new Creative Connections program; pairing teaching artists with local classroom teachers to create unique art lessons for their students. This opportunity coincides with my current initiatives to grow the offerings of my artistic practice within our community in Skagit County.
The MoNA Creative Connections pilot program kicks off with our first trainings beginning October 11, 2024. Once we begin the process I will share my own progress within the program. Primary areas of development we will cover include lesson planning & facilitating, culturally responsive teaching, visual thinking strategies, and trauma-informed teaching.
Earlier this year I attended a PATH with Art cohort in Seattle, where we learned about the approaches and impacts of Trauma-informed teaching. This facet of teaching relates directly to my initiatives to help fellow veterans and other sufferers of event-specific and life trauma. This area of work is more critical now than ever as we see our nation's educational institutions and mental health programs being privatized and marginalized, providing ever decreasing access to those in need.
The MoNA Creative Connections program and PATH with Art are both filling this chasm and building lasting momentum for the future of education and the arts, and I am thankful to have the resources to be able to use my talents and interests to help on a larger scale.
I want to thank Ellen L. Kellor for connecting me with this opportunity. Her work in adult education goes back many years and her recommending me was such an honor. Thank you Ellen!
Links for more information...
Museum of Northwest Art Creative Connections
PATH with Art - Seattle
