Blending art and nature study. Jill has been teaching a variety of art classes and workshops for 20 years. She received a certification in Botanical Art and Illustration from the Morton Arboretum and was named " Featured Artist for Fall, 2021 at the Nature Artists' Guild exhibit. Jill's work is represented in private collections throughout the US with a special gallery in Normandy, France.

With a biology degree, Kelley is a Geneva based scientific illustrator and is currently the contract illustrator for Brookfield Zoo. She is passionate about science, nature, drawing and teaching painting and other mediums. kelleycappellart.com

Kayla Coulter is a professional artist, instructor, and founder of The Artistic Edge. A lifelong lover of the arts, Kayla discovered her passion for drawing at an early age, later expanding into acrylic painting, and experimenting with other materials. Drawing remains her first love—the foundation of her artistic journey and the heart of her teaching although acrylics are a very close second.

For over twenty years, Kayla has been dedicated to self-studying drawing and painting, continually growing her technical skills and artistic voice. She is now pursuing a Fine Arts degree and a Certificate in Small Business/Entrepreneurship to formally expand her knowledge and strengthen her professional practice.

Specializing in graphite and charcoal work, realism, portraiture, and imaginative expression, Kayla’s classes emphasize building strong fundamental skills while nurturing each artist’s unique creative spirit.

Kayla is deeply grateful, humbled, and excited to join the School of Art at Water Street Studios, where she looks forward to sharing her passion and helping others grow their skills. She is especially excited about the opportunity to contribute to and grow the vibrant art community around her—bringing people together through creativity, exploration, and a shared love for the arts.

Jeremy J. Foy was born in Illinois in 1988. He received a BFA from Elmhurst College, 2013 and his MFA at Northern Illinois University, 2016. He is currently an adjunct professor at multiple Colleges and Universities and teaches ceramics at Water Street Studios in Batavia, IL. Jeremy has an obsession with sports and physical activities. His work is an emphasis on both creative and physical prowess, a compression of the rigors of repetitious activity. Combining sport with ceramics, he relates his concept of practice into one cohesive body of work.

Emy Krauspe has been a resident artist at Water Street Studios since 2018. A magna cum laude graduate of North Central College with a degree in education, Emy taught early childhood on four different continents before returning to her midwest roots. As a mother of three herself, she remains passionate about process-based art for the very young and the young-at-heart. She aims to bring a spirit of joy and curiosity to her work, whether teaching, making, or parenting. Find Emy on Instagram @rootandbudstudio.

Caitlin Palagi is an independent artist at Caitlin Palagi Creations. She believes in the process of intuitive art – in finding our creative voices by trusting in our minds and bodies. Her growth as an artist occurred when she began leaning into her creativity and stopped analyzing it.

Caitlin grew up Irish dancing, painting, crafting, sewing, and teaching those around her, spreading her joy for the arts.

Caitlin holds a B.S. in Psychology and previously worked in research and software sales. The juxtaposition of coming from such an analytical background to stepping back into her original creative roots has brought her joy in process art.

Caitlin believes the process of art, just like life, is a temporary one. Any perceived mistakes she makes on the canvas are only held for however long she fixates on them. If she keeps moving with the process, things may get better, they may also appear to get worse at times; but in the end with enough paint, patience, and time, they usually end up coming full circle. Knowing this allows her to be more present in the moment and quiet her inner critic. This is a creative-thought process she is passionate about sharing with others.

Carly Palmer is a Writer and Artist. She spent many years as a Professional Makeup Artist. This type of specialized work required a constant attention to detail, anticipatory vision, and a steady hand working on a “live canvas”. It was there that she developed a keen eye for precision and placement. She naturally drifted into collage making as she has always had a deep appreciation for re-purposing and re-imagining. For her, collecting images for collages often feels like a treasure hunt without a map. She considers herself “old-fashioned” and hand-cuts all of her paper collages with scissors and flips through print magazines of today and yesteryear. She teaches workshops for both children and adults. You can follow her on instagram @artfullycurious and visit her website www.carlypalmer.com

Megan Ryan grew up in a small town in the outer suburbs of Chicago, immersed in an artistic environment within her family. Her childhood home was surrounded by a heavily wooded area and numerous forest preserves, which she frequently explored as a child and young adult. These natural surroundings have profoundly inspired her artwork.

Megan discovered her passion for ceramics at the age of fourteen, during her sophomore year of high school. She immersed herself in learning the craft, dedicating time to build her skills in preparation for college. After graduating from high school, Megan attended Waubonsee Community College from 2017 to 2019. There, she took ceramics classes and studied under Doug Jeppson, focusing on atmospheric firing and further developing her skills.

Following her time at Waubonsee, Megan moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, and enrolled in Colorado Mesa University’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program from 2019 to 2023. At Colorado Mesa, she was mentored by KyoungHwa Oh and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Studio Art in December 2023.

As a ceramic artist, Megan creates functional pieces that harmonize aesthetics, form, and function. Her work is deeply inspired by nature, a theme that reflects the tranquility she experienced in her childhood surroundings. Megan now finds similar peace in the creative process of making functional ceramics. She employs underglazes, transparent or ash glazes, and techniques such as Mishima, carving, surface design, and natural themes to add layers and depth to her pieces. Megan’s functional pottery aims to enrich everyday lives through the interaction and intimacy of daily use.

Art is everywhere and for everyone. From an early age, Kristin has always had a love of graphic and package design, and a heart for folk and outsider art. Her art classes are designed to engage those who maybe haven’t immersed their lives in art, but would like to benefit from the mindful practice that art making offers to all. Kristin earned an BA of Art History from the University of Delaware, with a Minor in Fine Art. She began her career as an Education Director at The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design. She has been making and teaching art with Water Street Studios for the past seven years.

Rosalie White’s journey with art began in childhood, fueled by a curiosity to create with found objects and materials from around the house. This passion deepened during her studies at Columbia College Chicago, where unconventional perspectives helped shape her artistic vision.

After pursuing a parallel career in education as teacher and school administration, Rosalie retired in 2021, fully embracing her identity as an artist.

Now, as a resident artist and instructor at Water Street, Rosalie dedicates herself to both creating and teaching. She takes immense joy in sharing the transformative magic of art with students of all ages, fostering a space where creativity flourishes without limits.

Her work is known for its vibrant use of color and textural depth, often exploring themes of memory, nature, and human connection.

Her work has been featured in regional publications, solo and group exhibitions throughout Chicagoland and received the 2024 West Chicago’s Art Banner People Choice award.
Rosaliewhite@gmail.com
Rosaliewhitefinearts.com

Lisa is a graduate of Southern Illinois University with a degree in Graphic Design. For the past 20 years she has taught graphic design at Waubonsee Community College, College of Dupage, Elgin Community College, and Elmhurst University. In addition to design education, she is a working graphic designer with her own business, Resolution Creative. Recently, her focus has been creating art with colored pencil. Prints of her work may be purchased at her Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/LisaYoungdahlArt