Music • Singing • Integrated Arts
Every student will benefit from Hilary’s extensive musical talent. Hilary studied both music and international relations at the University of the Pacific. As part of her schooling, she pursued both interests in Warsaw, Poland. This included studies in social policy at the Warsaw School of Economics, and violin at the Chopin Academy. After graduation from Pacific, Hilary continued her studies in policy and development at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Since then, she has been performing on both piano and violin, and teaching. In addition to her work with the Arts Council, Hilary is a staff member at the Darrell Leffler Academy of Music in San Jose.
Percussion ● Spirit Nest Group Building ● Visual Arts
Twenty years of percussion practice and performance has taken Jayson around the world- Tunisia, Romania, Bangkok and all places in between. His easy rapport with students of all ages and his simple techniques lead to quick, fun learning of meter, tempo and rhythm interspersed with cultural concepts.
Jayson performs and produces hundreds of concerts and educational programs annually celebrating cultural diversity. His work has taken him to direct a diverse range of artistic projects in Europe, African, Haiti, Cuba and Brazil. He has taught and served as a special consultant for California State University Monterey Bay, San Francisco State University, The Esalen Institute, and the Centro d’Ompio International Center for Holistic Studies. His work has been featured in many prestigious publications such as the London Guardian, BBC, San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, Conde Naste European Travel Magazine, Sunset Magazine. Jayson is also a visual artist and an architect of Sprit Nests.
Jean has lived on a farm in Aptos, CA for over 40 years, juggling parenting with a part time adult educaton job. She was a potter, watercolorist, and currently has focused on oil painting. Since retiring, she has taken her paints to Italy, New Brunswick, and more frequently, New Mexico. But, since flying is not what is once was, she is increasingly content to paint the farm, valley and local coast. Her art education was from Cal State Northridge, UCSC and Cabrillo, in addition to private workshops from Karen Frey, Charles Reid, Hedi Moran, Randall Sexton and Tjasa Iris in Italy. She is a member of the Pajaro Valley Arts Council, Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters' Association, and the Santa Cruz Oil Painters, a wonderfully active and supportive group. In November, she puts the paintsaway and makes wreaths, a different art form. Locals also come out to the farm to make their own wonderfully asymmetric wreaths.
Dance ● Yoga ● Movement
Jennifer has over 15 years’ experience teaching and training clients of all ages. She holds national certifications as a personal trainer, medical exercise specialist, Pilates & yoga instructor. Her coaching style is a product of solid credentials, teaching experience, and her passion for lifelong learning. After many years in the dance world, both as a performer and teacher, she works with particular attention to posture, body mechanics & core strength. As a devoted yoga practitioner and teacher she integrates many of those principles into her coaching. One of those principles is the importance of connection with nature. Our personal ecosystem must be understood as part of the larger web and cycles of nature. Health and sustainability are the natural result of individuals and communities that honor that feedback loop. Just as nature is always changing and evolving, so our own health and well-being is a life long journey. Movement is a way to nourish ourselves on that journey, to play and to create art at any age or stage of life.
Jim Willis has a background in technical writing and technical illustration. In 2009, he started painting in oil under the tutelage of long-time friend, Bay Area artist Ramona Kennon. From an almost laughable beginning, Jim’s paintings gradually improved to the point that he felt confident showing them publicly. In 2012, his painting “Old Man in a Hat” took first place in the Portraits, Figures, and Animals category of the Monterey County Fair’s Juried Division.
I had no idea I would end up being a painter, even though my life has always been infused with art. Dad taught us the Munsell color system when we were in elementary school, showing us tubes of natural pigments and how they combine. I was surrounded by beautiful art as I grew up, spent family together time at museums, and was involved in photography and many needle crafts. Art History was a natural major for me in college.
My desire to paint arose from my father's example as a wonderful watercolorist, a lack of purpose in my life, and a SPECTRA artist's lesson to the third grade class I was teaching in 2004. Due to my background in art history/art appreciation, excellent instruction and some natural ability, I have experienced a bit of success.
Visual Arts • Murals • Public Art • Illustration
I have worked with hundreds of children and young adults teaching illustration, painting and sculpture. I am a muralist with an emphasis on culture, history, lessons on tolerance, teamwork and diversity.
Former Visual Art Director for Alisal Center for the Fine Arts, Jose has unique knowledge of the need art in schools. He is the founder of the Hijos del Sol muralist movement. Jose received the Benefactor of the Arts Award from the Cultural Council of Monterey County in 1995 and has been the curator for Mi Casa es Tu Casa, Day of the Dead art exhibit for the Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery since 1994. He was a Distinguished Fellow at California State University Monterey Bay for the year 2000.
Music • Percussion • Singing • Theater • Bilingual
Karen often paints en plein air in an effort to capture the essence of the landscape in Northern California, where she lives. Karen moved to the San Francisco Bay Area from Atlanta, Georgia in 1989. She states: “I feel very fortunate to live in California surrounded by the magnificent landscape with its endless variety. Painting allows me to closely examine nature and I now notice everyday things that otherwise would have passed me by. Time slows down when you paint or sketch. It’s magical.”