I was born NYC and spent my childhood in the Bronx. I attended the High School of Music and Art (yes, the school from the movie "Fame"!) and later earned a Bachelors of Fine Art degree at Washington University in St. Louis. My major was illustration, but it was also there that I discovered a love of printmaking which still influences my painting. After graduating from college, I worked as a graphic designer at a studio in New York with a focus on information design, signage, and city planning. I took a turn in my career in 2004 and earned a Masters in Education. I spent over ten years teaching students from kindergarten to fifth grade- from a start-up charter school in Harlem, NY to a small independent school in Washington DC. During my early years teaching in New York, I attended evening classes at the Art Students' League where one lucky night I met my husband Austin in a figure drawing class. After moving to Washington DC and having my son Theo in 2012, I stopped teaching to stay at home with him and spent his nap times exploring painting again. Two years later I gave birth to my daughter Vera and kept up the nap time painting routine. Now that my children are at school and daycare, and with a body of work I've built up over the last few years, I've decided to commit to my art full time. I've enjoyed showing my work in group and solo exhibitions, completing an artist-in-residence in Dublin, Ireland, and having my paintings published in international publications. My work is held in private collections internationally.
Instagram: @naomitaitzduffy
