aws Studios.art – boosting mental health skills
aws Studios.art is where I am a multi-passionate creative as a writer, artist, and mental health and social emotional learning/SEL educator.
Mental Health Educator
As a mental health educator, I focused on “boosting” the social and emotional skills of young people. I accomplished this by training adults living and working with kids and teens using my classroom tested curriculum. These lessons and activities served both grade-school students and pre-service Health Educators I taught at the State University of Cortland, NY’s School of Graduate Studies. In 2000, the NYS Dept. of Education selected my peer-reviewed communication skills learning experience, Final Episode for inclusion in their Academy for Teaching and Learning.
My Mental Health Educator experience includes:
- Serving on the board of the National Parenting Education Network,
- Becoming a Fellow of the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York Health Leaders Program,
- Membership in the Fellows Action Network, and
- Training for the NYS Office and Children and Family Services Adolescent Services and Resources Network
Artist and Writer
I have been an artist my whole life, first learning from my mom, an oil and acrylic painter. Through the years, I have received honors and awards including inclusion in the “On My Own Time” art show at the Everson Museum (Syracuse, NY). I taught art both in my home studio and for the NYS Board of Cooperative Education’s Continuing Education program.
See a gallery of my recycled paper and vintage fabric coastal and pastoral landscape collages here. Collage is also the medium used in my illustrated picture books. More of my creations including “The Whimsicals” can be viewed in my Etsy Shop.
My writing experience includes covering the local art scene and reviewing art at shows and galleries for the Syracuse New Times, an arts and entertainment newspaper.
My illustrated picture books include Phoebe and phearnik! Fight BIG Fears, Apples for Cider, a pastiche of “Blueberries for Sal,” and the endearing little black and white book, Lucy’s Pocket, connecting long-separated generations with a special family heirloom.
Personal Life
I live with my husband Jim on Sodus Bay in New York. In the winter, we live on the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. We are the proud parents of two adult children. Laine is an Otolaryngology Nurse Practitioner. And Peyton is an Inclusive Recreation and Community Mobility Consultant for Rochester Accessible Adventures. He is also a power soccer athlete and has played for the US Power Soccer Association’s Team USA. We are fortunate grandparents to Fia and Ernie.
Contact me here
Please note that all works of art and media on this site are copyrighted works of Alis Wintle Sefick and aws Studios.art
What People Say
Alis…presents her…ideas well, … with creativity and perception, meets her deadlines and never complains… . What more could an editor ask for?
Mike Greenstein, past Editor, Syracuse New Times
[Alis’s] … multi-media works are unique, stylistic, interesting and always delightful. [She] continually evolves as a multi dimensional.. artist, incorporating drawing, painting, photography and beautiful fabric designs.
Laura Jacobsen, retired Nurse Practitioner and art collector
Mommy, I love this book!
Granddaughter Fia, 4 years old, to her mom, on Alis’s picture book, “Lucy’s Pocket”
