Alessandra

Ciao! I am Alessandra! I have a Studio Art degree from Grand View University as well a big heart for corgis (but apparently you can't get a degree in that). Besides making and appreciating art, I love video games, classic Mario and Sonic all the way and working out. Besides teaching art I also teaching Boxing at TITLE Boxing club. My background is of Italian decent and my family and I go there every 3-5 years. I'm hoping to further develop my own art portfolio and one day go to grad school. Art really had allowed me to express my wide love and appreciation for all things and I'm happy I can be here to help you explore art!

Amy

I am a lover of all things creative. Being able to create my own art and leading others to create is a passion. I dabble in various forms of art: welding, painting, repurposing anything that requires getting messy. As a middle school art teacher, Bottle & Bottega Des Moines is a great avenue to share my love of art and my love of a great party! “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” ~ Maya Angelou

Brittany

Hi, I'm Brittany! My passion is creating art in many different forms. I'm a graphic designer by trade, but I've also discovered a love for painting, tattoo design and audio engineering. Outside of Bottle & Bottega, I work in the marketing world, designing printed materials and developing a company-sponsored podcast, hosted by me! When I'm not creating art, you can find me either sleeping, playing games, hanging out with friends or with my husband, Alex, and dog, Chewbacca. I can't wait to teach you in one of my classes!

Carole

Bonjour! ¡Hola! Hello! Trilingual speaker/ tri-medium painter! I started painting when I was two – under my mother’s walnut side tables and on her over-the-couch print – with her lipstick! She eventually painted the whole garage white and said “have at it!” When I was in 6th grade, I was accepted into the Chicago School of Art, but I never attended. I ended up winning the Iowa State Blue Ribbon in Black and White Ink drawing in 1973, as a junior in high school and went to Iowa to become a painter who would restore great European works of art. Very quickly I realized I was going to starve! Changed my major to French and education, worked on my Masters years later in Spanish, and here I am teaching art!!! I've been doing wine and canvas for over two years now! I love to work in acrylic, but also enjoy water colors and oil. I must confess, however, I cannot paint my finger or toe nails: the color goes all over the place or not at all.

Jordan

Jordan is a Higher Education professional by day and artist by night. His primary mediums are pen and ink, digital painting, and acrylic painting. Jordan creates art to better understand who he is and the world around him. He says, “A better me, a better you, and a better world all starts with our capacity to imagine.“ He’s been working with Bottle & Bottega Des Moines since 2018 and loves sharing his passion for art and creativity with the people in his class.

Kayana

Born in the South Suburbs of Chicago, 21-year-old Kayana Thomas has always had a love for art. Growing up in a Christian home filled with beautiful African art she developed her faith and her passion for art. Proud of her African-American heritage she loves illustration, animation and portraits, particularly depicting African Americans. Formally trained in still life and figure drawing she is currently working towards earning a bachelor's degree in studio arts at Grandview University. She plans on using her degree to fulfil one of life-long dreams, creating and directing animated films. Along with a separate part-time job she works weekends at Bottle & Bottega of Des Moines where she teaches and hosts painting parties. Kayana also volunteers for a new faith-based non-profit known as the Des Moines Dream Center, where she directs and teaches free art classes for impoverished children of Des Moines. Kayana's faith in God has opened so many opportunities to use her art to better herself and impact her community in positive ways.

Kirsten

Hi, I’m Kirsten! I’m a Des Moines artist who uses acrylics, watercolors, and oils to create. I have been teaching wine and paint classes for two years and very much enjoy getting to see all of the different pieces our clients make. I have been painting most of my life, and I attended art school in Milwaukee for a degree in Graphic Design. I moved back to Iowa a couple of years ago from Seattle and it’s great to be home. Along with teaching classes I am a freelance graphic designer. In my free time I enjoy exploring Des Moines with my 5-year-old daughter, playing kickball on a team with my friends, and creating my own pieces of art!