Art lessons

I have been asked many times over the years if I give private lessons.  Usually I say no, or well, I could...

I think my hesitation is because I think most people, especially parents, view lessons as an outcome based process.  Art, however, is not always about the outcome, but the journey of discovery.  Regardless of this belief, I have decided to provide art lessons to the general public since so many of my students have been finding success in their artwork.  I have decided to approach lessons by offering two paths: artistic discovery or project based.  I can easily teach people to copy and mimic or to slightly alter a project to make it their own and learn a couple techniques along the way.  However, I feel my real strength as an educator is my eye for quality art and helping students develop their aesthetic.  I'm hoping that this proves a fruitful venture for me.  An added bonus is that I get inspired by my students.  I can't wait to get started!

Advice to Young Artists in a Post Modern Era

I've been reading a lot this week in attempts to switch my brain  functioning from Blues Clues and Dora the Explorer to Art making and teaching effectively.  I've read 3 books already this week.  One that I'm flying through is Advice to Young Artists in a Post Modern Era by William V. Dunning with Ben Mahmoud.  It has really validated and solidified a lot of my approaches and methodology.  He makes very good points about how students expect us to somehow mold them into great artists without any work on their end.  In his book Taking the Leap, author Cay Lang asserts "To be a successful artist you need three things: curiosity, commitment, and good work habits." In an antidote he relays how he knew he was really meant to be an artist, quoting an instructor saying "An artist can't stop himself.  He really has no choice about it.", and his realization that being an artist isn't necessarily meaning working in the studio every day.  An artist can be a person who works or who doesn't work. However, the true artist has no choice about it, if they are not making art, they are thinking about making art or chastising themselves for not making art. As we begin the new semester, I am looking forward to making artwork, but also to inspire my students to BE CURIOUS, MAKE A LIFE LONG COMMITMENT TO THEIR ART AND ESTABLISH GOOD WORKING HABITS!

Greatest Fear

Just as the fear I voiced in my first posting, I have not posted in months.  Self-fulfilling prophesy?  So, what happened?  Life, I guess.  That night, the night after my first post, my cousin was involved in a life changing car accident.  Andrew Benedict was in a terrible accident that took many of us on a roller coaster ride of emotions. He has overcome many of his challenges, and is now fairly stable, but he is paralyzed from the neck down.  He may never get off a ventilator.  He is facing a completely dependent existence.  

After beginning to move through the stages of grief, my dear, sweet friend, Nancy, lost her only son in a car accident. It is tragic, unfair and unimaginable.  At this point the only thing I can say is WEAR YOUR SEATBELTS PEOPLE!!!  Both Drew and Spencer were not wearing their seatbelts and both had major spinal injury. 

All of these serious life happenings serves as a reminder to the rest of us how mortal we are.  As an artist I am constantly battling fear and doubt.  A new year, a new urgency maybe, but I’m ready to battle those fears and make art, and to make a life, making art.