TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Recently a professor of mine said, “Art is about creating and editing”, and this resonated with me. How do artists initiate a "thing", and proceed to edit and grow that work. For me, the natural next inquiry is how do art professors then facilitate this skill to art students? How do we decide what to leave in and what to include and omit from expression.

In regaurd to my methods, much of this process is achieved by analyzing a preferred expression of ones optical experience. It is merely learning to notice it and and comprehending the difference between visual information in design and conceptual forms. This balance of creating visually satisfying composition combined with the inclusion, or editing out, of form is a powerful way of processing painting and drawing. To students learning to draw from life, this is not merely about tradition. This skill set is about sensing the interaction of the brains and eyes. I believe students working in my courses and individually learn to relax into their studio space, connect with what they visualize, and learn various methods of conveying their vision. I typically share artists from history associated with the three academic historical painting academies because of their lack of technology, skills, and masterful depictions of complexity conveyed through simplicity and skill. While I have specific methods I enjoy using to teach, from my own training, I work with artists using a combination of linear and non-linear learning styles while applying my visual methodology. Artists can hit walls in their learning process and going outside of the typically steps of historical teaching pedagogy is apart of my method for assisting students through their learning challenges. In my teaching, it is important to me to address how teaching could approach learning broadly and specifically. I do this by using traditional methods of drawing and painting to introduce artists to a specific style and skill set. I then concentrate on the development of the individuals work by asking questions about their thoughts, process, and challenges in their work facilitate individuation in their working methods. Learning is not a straight and narrow road. I believe individual experience are the foundation to their personal working practice. Artists learn to anchor foundational ideas and skills while exploring threads that are proximal to their current work. Artists are expert synthesizers and manifestors in their chosen media. While I agree structure and physical work are the building blocks of an artists career I also trust each individual will arrive at those building blocks through various routes. Belief and trust in the student allows the student to have confidence in their threads of exploration. I am an educator who challenges artists to bring their thoughts and philosophy to life. I do this passionately thorough skill based drawing and painting.

Just as when you learn music you need to learn scales before playing an instrument. Similarly, students exploring visual arts begin exprimenting while they learn the "scales" of their desired expression. Eventually their practice and exploration collide with an understanding of how their work will evolve. For my art students I hope to place appropriate challenges in their learning process and faciliate their work with them as we work together. There are students who need to assistance to see, think, and articulate the structure of forms and space before they are able to deconstruct those forms to be include in their compositions. I appreciate the gracious opportunity to be part of my students'studio growth. I believe it is an honor to impart a method of seeing that will add to their tools of drawing and painting.