About

Connect with the artist at: carynablum@gmail.com

I am Caryn A Blum. Most people know me as an art teacher, and substitute teacher. I have been working as an artist educator since I graduated from RISD Painting department in 2007. At that time, I had been working as an art teacher doing Saturday enrichment workshops for the continuing education department. I have worked with young children and students for most of my life, and knew I wanted to find a way to create a life helping kids learn through art. Earning my Masters in Education from Seton Hall offered me opportunities to develop creative arts programming that matched my values as a Christian art educator. I have loved teaching art in many types of diverse schools in NJ, PA and WI. Art class is not always the main priority of districts, and this journey to continue my dream of creating art classes that help kids and schools has been complicated. I am a certified Art teacher, and have taught all ages of students. The pursuit of this career has given me opportunities in many types of places.

A lot of my professional artwork, illustration commissions, painting and drawing are a celebration of all the wonderful things I have loved about life, this career, the joyful times I have been thrilled to be a part of, and the things I have studied and cherished. What is just a seed, a leaf, or plastic bottle to many is a symbol of hundreds of creative conversations with young children and people that spark imagination and remind me of why I love teaching and art.

The mural above is a fictional illustration made using my skills as a 1:1 life-size figure painter and muralist. I made up types of children to represent many diverse young people in a supportive art class. I wanted to exercise my skills in incorporating a bunch of types of lesson plans and projects I have designed as a teacher. Being an artist of commission throughout my teacher career, I never was required to hone just one style of work. I create work in various home and apartment studio spaces, and continue to pursue positive work that celebrates good art education and good things about this world.

If you are interested in any of my work, I create original, hand-made art based on personal interest, or client commissions. I have worked with education corporations, families, schools, and businesses to develop artwork and projects that meet client needs. Feel free to connect via my email at: carynablum@gmail.com.