Meet Our Staff

Tina
Owner and Designer

Founder Tina,  has a vision and wants to share her creative outlet with others, one community at a time.  Having experience teaching crafting within her community,  Tina created SCRAP U & Artistry Too, a studio designed to teach new and creative forms of art classes to children & adults!​

Doodles
Studio Bunny

Doodles is new to our studio!  He is a baby Jersey Wooly.  He LOVES greeting all of our guests, eating carrots, and even licking friends he remembers.  Doodles is very cute and a creative little guy.  He's always finding new ways to bring attention to himself to get that extra snuggle, smile and snack from our clients.  

Meet the Artists 

Pauline Vargas - Head Drawing & Painting Instructor

 My name is Pauline Vargas, and I am a watercolorist and acrylic painter. I also have a joy in ink drawing. I have been teaching art for the past 3 years and creating and working on my art technique for 25 years. My passion for art began since I was able to hold a crayon. When I am not creating art, I love to go walking in the park discovering nature with sketchbook in hand, yoga, and discovering my next adventure. My combination experience in teaching in early childcare of thirteen years and my AFA has given me the foundations to share my knowledge with my students to seek their experiences and passion for art and have fun in the process. I believe with creativity an imagination, there are endless possibilities.  
Follow me on social media to see my latest art adventures and latest creative pieces; or come visit my shop on Etsy.  I hope you have a creative day!  See our programs page for Denise's class schedule.
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thoughtpalettestudios
 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thought_palette_studios_/
 You Tube Channel: https://youtu.be/8zUhVS05PIs
 Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PalettestudiobyP

Denise Carr - Sewing Instructor

​Denise is a freelance seamstress and sewing teacher with over 30 years of experience specializing in apparel, home décor and costumes.  After spending much of her youth learning from her very talented sewing mom and working in a fabric store, she earned her BS in Marketing from Bloomsburg University and her MBA from Temple University.  While working in the corporate world she continued to follow her passion for sewing until her sewing client base took over full time.  That passion she is happy to share with “children of all ages”.  See our programs page for Denise's class schedule.

Lauren Demetris - Drawing & Painting Instructor

Lauren Demetris received her Associates Degree in Visual, Fine Arts from Raritan Valley Community College.  She also holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology with a Minor in Art History from Rutgers University.  Lauren is passionate about working with kids and loves to create art with a wide range of mediums such as sculpting, drawing, and painting. Lauren has expanded her artistic ability by designing beautiful cakes & cupcakes as a cake decorator. As she continues on in her education, Lauren's goal is to become an Art Therapist and help counsel others through artistic and creative techniques.   See our programs page for Lauren's class schedule.

---

Jackie Stier - Copper Artist, Adult & Children Painting Workshops

Jackie received her BFA from the School of Art and Design at Alfred University and has been a professional graphic designer in the corporate world for the past 20 years. Her main hobby is the art of repoussé, a technique of drawing on thin sheets of copper she learned from her high school art teacher. Over the past 3 years, she has made her hobby into a full time job by traveling the coast participating in juried art festivals, comic and horror conventions and oddities markets. Her art interests are varied and has enjoyed being inspired by fellow artists she meets in her travels. www.jackiestier.com  
See our program page for Jackie's class schedule.

---

Amy Ewans

Amy provides mixed media classes including but not limited to mono printing,  Zen doodling, drawing, painting and collage. Amy uses an endless list of products and prefers to create pieces with a sketchy, illustrative nature. Her mixed media and art journaling classes will be offered at Scrap U in the future.  She will also be present for selected studio events where she will offer mini make & take classes.
​See our programs page for Amy's evening class schedule.

Susan Niedt

Susan Niedt is a Certified Aromatherapist, Reiki I and Reiki II, and a Certified Positive EFT Practitioner. She studied Aromatherapy at Aromahead Institute and Aromatic Wisdom Institute. She is an active member of NAHA. Her love of plants and their unique healing properties brought her to the world of Aromatherapy, through which she discovered that combining both the therapeutic and energetic properties of essential oils with EFT and Reiki protocols, deeper levels of healing can be experienced. See our programs page for a list of classes with Susan.

Itoko Kobayashi

Itoko came from Japan.  She loves to share her origami art work with others.  She started her craft working exhibitions, fairs, and finally by teaching others.  Itoko loves  to see others reaction to her work, especially of children.  She wants people to know the possibility of creativity with paper.  See our programs page for Itoko's class schedule.

Kathy Lang

Kathy Lang is the mother of 2 and is a soap maker from Hillsborough, New Jersey.  She has a Ph.D. in Psychology and has been active in the special needs community for over 13 years.  She has been a crafter throughout her life and has been soap making, with her daughter Taylor, for over 7 years.   See our programs page for Kathy & Taylor's class schedule.

Taylor Lang

Taylor Lang is a soap maker from Hillsborough, New Jersey. She has been making soap, bath bombs, and paper crafts for over 7 years. In her free time, Taylor enjoys running a theatre-based YouTube channel, planning her next Disney trip, and playing the guitar. She is currently teaching classes at Scrap U. You can visit her on Instagram @badpicsoftj or @broadwaysoapco.

Olivia Wischmeyer

Olivia is a Rutgers Student studying Visual Arts & Agriculture. She is a painter and freelance illustrator who has published her own children’s book and worked to illustrate three more. She has worked in teaching small lessons in crafts and watercolor with youth. She is passionate about sustainable development, painting and advocacy art.  See our programs page for Olivia's class schedule.

---

Meet Tina, Owner and Designer

Founder, Tina Rear has lived in Hillsborough for over 19 years and has always been an active member of her community but when her dream of opening an art studio became a reality it opened up a whole new world of art to our community!  
"I got the teaching bug when my friend Maryann asked me to create and teach a scrapbooking program for Amsterdam School's enrichment program.  I fell in love with the program and returned every year there after.  Being creative is my passion, I love to watch students  try new things, grasp new concepts and apply them to school projects and at home in their own freestyle art!   The kids are excited to share their masterpieces and  I am always amazed at how talented and expressive children are or how often I've heard a parent remark that they didn't know their children were that talented"!
"I have always wanted a Studio where people stop in, take a class, do some freestyle art, take creative risks, hang out and meet new people.  Art is not only therapeutic but socially,  a great tool to bring people together.  Scrap U  & Artistry Too is a safe space, both personally and professionally for every guest who enters.  Our warm, inviting climate is most important to me.  I want each of our guests (adult and children alike) to have the opportunities to experience new, amazing art programs and learn a variety of different art mediums from talented professionals in their craft that they would not otherwise get to experience.  Hillsborough has not had a one-stop shopping location for all their artistic needs and now they do!  
Tina's  commitment to support her community comes from years of volunteer and non-profit work.  Tina's resume of volunteerism includes many  organizations including but not limited to: Hillsborough's Cultural Arts Commission, Organization for Autism Research (OAR), Safe & Sound Somerset as well as coordinating family events & fundraisers throughout Hillsborough School's.  
In 2008, Tina founded a non-profit organization called, Care to Share Support Network, that worked with families of children with special needs throughout Somerset County.  During the lifespan of the charity, Tina was recognized for her work and significant contributions to Hillsborough's Special Education Department.  Tina received several proclamations from Hillsborough Township, tas well as an award from the radio station, Magic 98.3 for “Women Who Make Magic” and in 2009  Tina received New Jersey's Somerset County "Women of the Year" for Volunteerism.

---

OUR CLIENTS