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St. Margaret's Upper School Art Teacher Exhibits at Soka University

Upper School Art Teacher Natasha Shoro's artwork showcasing 65 mixed media paintings are now on exhibition in the Founders Hall Gallery at Soka University until Dec. 31. Mrs. Shoro's exhibition "Spatial Identity", was chosen for exhibition by the Soka Gallery Committee, and is recognized for its culmination of Eastern and Western influences.

Featured in the exhibition is a collaboration of pieces that have been produced over the last six months. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m, Monday through Friday. Admission is free. According to Wendy Harder, director of communications at Soka University, Mrs. Shoro's work provides a unique insight to an infusion of distinct cultures. The rich influences that her artwork brings to the school help enrich one of Soka University's guiding philosophies, an appreciation for cultural diversity. International students from 30 different countries comprise 50 percent of the University's student body.

A self-proclaimed world traveler, Mrs. Shoro takes the aerial landscapes she discovered as a child and translates them into art. Her abstract work is composed of layers of paint and etchings placed spontaneously onto unstretched canvas. She has displayed her work at both solo and juried exhibitions in and around California, Iowa and Pakistan. Being selected as an exhibitioner for Soka University has been a remarkable experience which she says has been fulfilling and rewarding. Mrs. Shoro describes her exhibit as an ebb and flow of abstract threads that connect her inner and outer spaces. Inner spaces represent her inner feelings and the symbols within her subconscious state, while outer spaces represent the mapping and overlapping of aerial views and landscapes from her life experiences. Also on display is her biggest piece to date, a 20 x 11-foot canvas art piece, "Tranquility"" which was created onsite.

Mrs. Shoro joined St. Margaret's Episcopal School as an Upper School Art Teacher this summer, and says she enjoys teaching high school students because it takes her back to her high school days.

My goal and focus as a teacher is to enable my students to grasp ideas and concepts. This process makes them realize their own unique talents, expression and capabilities in art by believing in themselves.

Mrs. Shoro strives to share her knowledge, talent, skill and experience with her students. Her hope is that every student can develop a sense and appreciation for the visual arts and understand the creative side within themselves. She adds that the best advice she can give any student who aspires to be an artist is:

never give up and never think you can't accomplish your dreams.

Mrs. Shoro received a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design from Iowa State University, and a Master's Degree in Drawing and Painting from California State University, Fullerton. She has been teaching art in the Southern California area for seven years and says that the biggest influence in her career as an artist have been her life experiences. She currently lives in Orange County with her husband, who is an architect and their three children. An interesting fact about Mrs. Shoro is that she likes to listen to loud music while she is painting. She says that she often listens to the Gypsy Kings and other music of the same genre because it inspires her to make her mark.