Jill Ryerson has had her hands in clay and her head in education for most of her adult life.  

Her passion for clay began in elementary school when she couldn’t wait for the art teacher to start the next clay project.  This passion grew as the teenaged-Jill experienced wheel-throwing for the first time.  Once she was hooked, Jill’s study of clay progressed through college and beyond.  

Jill has a degree in Visual Arts and Mathematics from Brown University (with clay coursework at the Rhode Island School of Design).  She furthered her study of clay as an apprentice at the Rochester Folk Art Guild and through classes at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Arvada Center, The Firehouse Art Center and the Boulder Potters Guild.  Jill was a member of the Boulder Potters’ Guild for a number of years.  There she served on the board, sold her work at the sales, and taught adult wheel throwing classes.  In 2018 Jill started Bluebird Art Studio with a friend and experienced the joy of offering joint parent/child classes.  

In addition to her work in clay, Jill has over twenty years of experience teaching children as a math teacher, tutor, and homeschool parent.  She has a Masters Degree in Education in curriculum and instruction from the University of Colorado.   When working with children, Jill views her role as a guide to help them find creativity, discover their passions, and build confidence.  After many years of teaching, Jill continues to delight in the many ways she can learn and grow by spending time with children.

Jill is excited to return to the studio and once again offer classes for kids and adults.   She envisions a space where kids and adults can slow down in their busy lives, feel the energy that emerges from being creative, and experience the comfort that comes from being in community. 

Stewart Erlich is a faculty member in the School of Writing and Literature at Front Range Community College. He has a master’s degree in education and has been teaching full time for twenty-five years. Stewart has been active in the arts since he was a child, when after he failed miserably at team sports, his father found a little art studio where a neighbor was offering classes. He drew and painted all through his teenage years until he discovered music in college and started a thirty-year avocation as a singer- songwriter for multiple bands. When the pandemic forced many local venues to stop hosting live music, Stewart found his way back to painting as a primary vehicle of creative expression and has spent the last five years studying and practicing watercolor, a medium that he finds as magical as it is challenging. He is thrilled to combine his passion for teaching and his passion for art to share what he loves about water media.

Mónica Maldonado, is an abstract artist, musician, and educator from Boulder, Colorado. Growing up in a home that cherished music and art, Mónica spent their childhood painting portraits and learning songs of their favorite musicians. They earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education in 2014 and a Fine Art Certificate in 2021. 

Inspired by adventures and risk-takers, Mónica specializes in creating abstract and surreal portraits and figures using acrylic and oil paints. Their goal as an educator is to encourage students to be the best creative they can be. Everyone has a creative and unique voice, and Mónica is here to guide students to find that creative voice. Mónica also teaches at Shining Mountain Waldorf School as the choir teacher and high school art teacher.You can check out more of Mónica’s work at www.monicamaldonado.com .