Hello
I'm Cole-- founder, educator, and artist behind studio papaya. I believe that art is for everyone and can make a community stronger and its people more connected. I started studio papaya to help connect artists of all ages to themselves and to each other.
My Story
I'm as local as one can get. I was born and raised in Fort Collins, CO, and currently live in a house across from the house I grew up in. As much as I love traveling, I love returning to my home here in Colorado. I've always loved creating things and sharing ideas with others.
I was ready for a change after 10+ years, looking forward to new adventures, and spending more quality time with my family. I started studio papaya in 2026 with the hope of bringing balance to my life and creating an outlet for sharing my passion, art, and experience outside the classroom.
My hope is that studio papaya is a catalyst for art in our community-- supporting self-confidence and self-expression while fostering a collaborative connectedness through the practice of creating together.
In high school, I developed a deep passion for art as I worked through discovering my own budding identity and navigated some tough questions spurred by challenging times for my family. I learned that art can be more than replicating life with different media.
As an artist, I use a multitude of mediums to express my creative ideas. Drawing, painting, sculpture, pottery, photography, jewelry and metal smithing, sculpture-- if you can name it, I've probably done it. Check out my portfolio for some examples of my work. One of my favorite methods of creating art is through mural. The power of scale can transform a space and capture a viewer in a way many other artforms cannot. I'm always looking for more spaces in my own home to add a creative touch to.
I started my career as a K-12 public art educator teaching in both high schools and elementary schools. My experience teaching children art and countless hours of research led me to my current philosophy and teaching practice. I focus on facilitating creativity not through a cookie cutter, traditional approach to artmaking, but one that supports creative discovery and an artist's natural curiosity. Every person, as unique and different as they are, should naturally divulge into a differing way of creating or expressing themselves. There is no right or wrong way to art no matter your age or experience as long as it is true to who you are.
