Illustration Instructor Part-Time or Remote

Instructor Part-Time or Remote

Sheffield Abella
7654 Golden Lantern Ct.
Las Vegas, NV 89139-5331
sheff@sheff.com (mailto:sheff@sheff.com)
www.sheff.com
702.604.8800

November 8, 2025

Hiring Committee
Department of Fine Arts, Art Program
College of Southern Nevada
3200 E Cheyenne Ave
North Las Vegas, NV 89030

Dear Hiring Committee,

 

I am excited to apply for the Art Instructor position in the Department of Fine Arts, Art Program at the College of Southern Nevada, as advertised on HigherEdJobs.com.

 

With over two decades of teaching experience in fine arts and visual communication at institutions including the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and The Art Institute of Las Vegas, I am passionate about fostering creativity and critical thinking in diverse learning environments. My background in illustration, drawing, and design, combined with a commitment to accessible education, makes me eager to bring engaging, Drawing and Painting courses to both prison sites and CSN campuses.

 

In my current role as Visiting Assistant Professor at UNLV’s College of Fine Arts, I teach Illustration, Digital Illustration, and Individual Studies to undergraduate students, adapting curricula to meet varied skill levels and cultural perspectives. Previously, as a Full-Time Instructor at The Art Institute of Las Vegas (2004–2010 and 2019–2020), I led courses in Life Drawing, Advanced Life Drawing, Observational Drawing, Color Theory, and Painting, emphasizing hands-on techniques that build confidence and technical proficiency. These experiences have honed my ability to create inclusive classrooms where students—from beginners to advanced practitioners—explore art’s transformative power, much like the rehabilitative potential of arts education in correctional settings. I am interested in the opportunity to teach at High Desert State Prison, Southern Desert Correctional Center, Jean Conservation Camp, Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center, and Casa Grande Transitional Housing, as I believe art can serve as a vital tool for personal growth and reflection in such unique contexts. While I have not yet taught in the prison system, my work with adult learners in online and hybrid formats at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh (2016–2019) has prepared me to navigate structured, high-stakes environments with empathy and flexibility.

 

Beyond the classroom, I am committed to the professional development and administrative aspects of the role. I actively participate in departmental meetings, curriculum planning, and faculty trainings.
My professional practice as Owner and Illustrator at Pixel Colada LLC since 1996—serving clients like Caesars Palace, UFC, and McGraw-Hill—keeps my teaching grounded in real-world applications, ensuring students see the relevance of art in design, branding, and storytelling. Additionally, my public commissions, such as the 2020 digital mural Golden Knights Math for Joseph M. Neal STEAM Academy, demonstrate my ability to collaborate on community-focused projects that align with CSN’s mission of inclusive education. I am enthusiastic about the possibility of contributing to CSN’s innovative program by delivering dynamic, student-centered instruction across flexible schedules, including evenings and weekends. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my expertise in visual arts pedagogy can support your department’s goals. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of speaking with you soon.

 

Sincerely,

Sheffield Abella

 

 

What follows below is a mix of images from my freelance assignments and the classes that I have taught as well as examples from my past students.

Click on the “+” to expand each section.

My primary philosophical goal behind teaching is to motivate students to discover their own unique visual voices, and to support them in amplifying who they already are as visual artists. Beyond teaching fundamental principles and techniques of visual development, I want to assist students to solve technical and conceptual problems in elegant and efficient ways. Facilitating my students’ development of confidence in their work is a priority for me. Honing their ability to negotiate the standard professional aspects of their careers, from properly valuing their worth and their time to recognizing when they need to navigate sensitive subjects, as they service their clients and art directors is vital.

I look forward to working with students from diverse backgrounds. I am familiar with providing a dynamic academic environment, celebrating the uniqueness of  students, faculty and staff, all while pushing forward the core values of open-mindedness, equity and inclusion while maintaining the highest level of respect for one another. I will do my best to ensure that all my students, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities, or race, thrive in my classroom.   

Examples of my illustration work.

Below are Design Examples, logos, packaging, and branding.

I am able to draw and paint, both from life and from the imagination while lecturing.

YouTube Demonstrations

For the complete list of demo videos, click here.

Student work from AILV, AI Pittsburgh, and UNLV.

Sheffield Abella

7654 Golden Lantern Ct. • Las Vegas, NV 89139-5331
sheff@sheff.com • www.sheff.com • 702.604.8800

Education

 

2009 – 2013. MFA Animation, Visual Development Emphasis, Academy of Art University, 79 New Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA 94105.

1991 – 1994. BFA Visual Communication, Illustration Emphasis, Art Center College of Design, 1700 Lida Street, Pasadena, CA 91103.

      • Cal Grant Scholarship.

 

Experience

 

2024 – Present. Visiting Assistant Professor, College of Fine Art, University of Nevada Las Vegas. 4505 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89154.

      • Classes Taught: Illustration, Digital Illustration, Individual Studies

2023. Adjunct Professor, College of Fine Art, University of Nevada Las Vegas. 4505 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89154.

      • Classes Taught: Digital Illustration, Drawing II, 

2019 – 2020. Full-Time Instructor, The Art Institute of Las Vegas. 2350 Corporate Cir, Henderson, NV 89074.

      • Classes Taught: Life Drawing, Advanced Life Drawing, Character Design, Character Ideation, Color Theory, Illustration/Advanced Illustration.

2016 – 2019. Full-Time Instructor, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. 1400 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.  

      • Classes Taught:Life Drawing, Character Design, Advanced Illustration for Production

2014 – 2017. Illustrator/Designer/Social Media, Kizzang LLC Las Vegas, NV.

      • Produced graphics and digital illustrations for various game symbols and environments and user interfaces in a Facebook slot machine platform. Delivered and designed daily ad hoc art assets for the social media team. Created original game assets and also manipulated client supplied artwork. Produced company print ad promotion that appeared in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, as well as collateral assets for SI Launch event in New York. Designed apparel for company sponsored boxer Keith Thurman. Responsible for all print tasks for the company.

2014 – 2015. Adjunct Professor, College of Fine Art, University of Nevada Las Vegas. 4505 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89154.

      • Classes Taught: Digital Rendering, Ideation & Process, Graphic Design II.

2004 – 2010. Full-Time Instructor/Senior Faculty, The Art Institute of Las Vegas. 2350 Corporate Cir, Henderson, NV 89074.

      • Classes Taught: Life Drawing, Advanced Life Drawing, Observational Drawing, Digital Painting, Digital Imaging, Advanced Digital Imaging, Web Scripting, Drawing & Perspective, Digital/Web Portfolio.

1998 – 1999. Art Director/Lead Visual Development, helloNetwork.com, Inc. 3035 East Patrick Lane Suite 1. Las Vegas, Nevada 89120. Web Development Company specializing in JAVA enabled video streaming solutions.

      • Developed, restructured, redesigned, various company web sites, provided backend support to sister companies.
      • Designed projects including logos, identities, collateral, magazine ads, brochures, posters, and trade-show booths.

1996 – Present. Owner/Illustrator/Designer, Pixel Colada LLC Las Vegas, NV 89193. Illustration, Design, Identity/Branding, Web Design, Consulting.

      • Partial Client List: Air Force Reserve, AT&T, Bally’s, Bill Maher, Caesars Palace, Circus Circus, Excalibur, Gillette, Hello Network, Konami Gaming, McGraw Hill, Michele Fiore Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tem, Nokia, Phillips, Pontiac, Saturn, Toyota, Ultimate Fighting Championship, The Venetian, Wells Fargo, Westwood Studios

1995 – 1996. Designer/Illustration Consultant, Adrienne Weiss Corp. 737 N Michigan Avenue # 1580, Chicago, IL, 60611-5406. Design Firm. Illustration, Design, Identity/Branding, Consulting.

      • Developed identity projects for Bank One Stadium, Country Star Restaurants, Warner Bros. Stores, and MCI/Washington Bullets Stadium. Illustrations, logo design, taglines and various other identity concept work.

1995. Production Artist, Cloud 9 Interactive. 2720 Neilson Way, Santa Monica, CA 90409. Edutainment Gaming Company. Illustration, Design.

      • Created scratch art and final art for “How to Draw the Marvel Way” CD-ROM as well as integrated assets. Designed actuators for “Wanna-Be a Dino Finder”.

1993 – 1995. Production Artist, Synapse Technologies, 3400 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles. Robert Abel CEO. Interactive Media Company.

      • Produced digital assets for the Interactive Television Future for Wells Fargo, and contributed to the production of assets for a booth video wall for the Information Superhighway Conference at UCLA, spearheaded by Al Gore.

1992. Photographer, Interactive Support Group. Philips CD-i, publisher. Chatsworth, CA.

      • Photographer for interstitials and menu screens within Video Speedway, CD-I game.

 

Skills 

 

Digital Skills | Software

    • Expert: Photoshop, Xara Designer Pro, openCanvas, Sketchbook Pro, Painter, ArtRage, Rebelle, Mischief, Microsoft Office Suite, OBS Studio, BandiCam,
    • Intermediate: Illustrator, After Effects, InDesign, Animate, Flash, Premiere Pro, WordPress, Design Expression, Krita, Clip Studio Paint, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Dreamweaver, Brackets, MarkDown, Amberlight, Flame Painter, Acrobat, Media Encoder,
    • Working Knowledge: Blender, Maya, 3dStudio Max, Silo, Character Animator, Lightwave, Particle Illusion, Zbrush, Animate, Sound Forge, Audition

Tradtional Skills | Analog

    • Mediums: Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Gouache, Ink, Marker, Colored Pencil, Graphite, Charcoal, Pastel
    • Other Skills: I am comfortable as a public speaker having taught illustration, design, and software applications to students for over seven years. I have the ability to demonstrate digital techniques or techniques in traditional mediums while answering questions.

 

Exhibitions

 

Abella, Sheffield. 2025. Erl. Oil portrait. Group show: 25th Annual Celebrating Life!, Charleston Heights Arts Center, Las Vegas, NV. Presented by the City of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Arts Commission. Juror: Professor Robin Stark.

Abella, Sheffield. 2014. Geoffrey Holder. Watercolor portrait. 3rd Place, Nevada Watercolor Society Fall Show, Sahara West Public Library, Las Vegas, NV. Judge: Carl Purcell. Group show.

 

Public Commissions

 

Abella, Sheffield. 2020. Golden Knights Math. Digital mural design, 127 x 115 in. Commissioned by Michelle Fiore, Mayor Pro Tem of Las Vegas. Joseph M. Neal STEAM Academy, Las Vegas, NV.

 

Bibliography

 

Abella, Sheffield. Cover Art. Thunder at Darwin Station, Poetry Collection Lance Strate (Author); Sheffield Abella (Cover Artist) Probe 1 Ltd., 2015. 

Abella, Sheffield. Contributing Artist. When You Ride Alone You Ride with Bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on Terrorism, by Bill Maher, New Millennium Press, 2002.

 

Publications as Author

 

Abella, Sheffield. 2013. Liz Crimson. N.p.: Pixel Colada LLC.

 

References

 

Academic & Professional References available upon request.

Air Force Reserve

AT&T

Ballys

Bill Maher

Caesars Palace

Circus Circus

Excalibur

Gillette

Hello Network

Konami Gaming

McGraw Hill

Michele Fiore Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tem

Nokia

Phillips

Pontiac

Saturn

Toyota

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Venetian

Wells Fargo

Westwood Studios

Sheffield Abella

702.604.8800 Mobile
sheffield.abella@unlv.edu
sheff@sheff.com