With some trepidation, I handed Monday’s Words and Pictures class over to my student Rebecca Bense. She led us in an impromptu neurographic art exercise. I know, love and trust Becky, but Iāve had enough therapy to be guarded about diving into my subconscious. By the end of the exercise, I thought it was a good way to dig deeper into the meaning of art. And, since I seemed to have drawn a hag-ridden self-portrait (below) I was startled by the result.
Mondayās class is a very small group, and Iām teaching it because the content is important to me. If I used the customary pedagogical method and chased around questioning and critiquing, nobody would have a momentās peace. Instead, Iām developing ideas with, rather than for, the class. Itās fantastic fun for me, and I think Iāll probably learn something new about teaching.
A teacher is first a learner
I didnāt really have mastery of my craft until I learned to break it down in discrete steps and describe it to others. After all, that is what school is all about: repeating what one has learned. Not every artist is a good teacher; I know some very fine painters who are inarticulate. But when teaching is going well, itās a two-way street. Iām constantly surprised and amazed by what I learn from my students, as Mondayās class demonstrated.
Why does anyone teach?
The obvious answer is that teaching provides a steadier income than just selling paintings, which can be a ācanary in a coalmineā careerāgreat when the market is up, dismal when itās down. But nobody survives teaching if their motivations donāt run deeper. āBecause you like telling people what to do,ā my smart-aleck daughter suggested. Thatās probably partly true.
Good teaching is akin to preaching. They both require a belief in and passion for the subject. Building on that, you harness communication skills, technical ability, and human connection, but theyāre all secondary to that passion.
True relationships
After a few decades of teaching and writing about painting, Iāve shared a lot about my life. My students have done the same. If a painter takes one of my online classes, theyāre signing up for 18 hours of ensemble learning. If they take one of my workshops, itās a full week. No, weāre not gossiping or chattering idly. We concentrate on painting, but that is a highly personal subject. We canāt help but make connections.
Although I once considered myself a private person, Iām now comfortable with this. For one thing, these days thereās very little anyone can blackmail me with.
Teaching has a long reach
I have students who have gone on to professional art careers. Some now teach, and some, like Cassie Sano, are successful writer-illustrators. Student Mark Gale works in an art program with homeless people in Austin, TX. Some, like architect Kamillah Ramos, will outlive me.
Like most artists, I went into art thinking I would make objects of lasting beauty. What if the actual product turned out to be future artists?
(I realize with a start that weāre within a month of my July workshop here in Rockport. If youāre considering it, you want to register soon, since itās both close and nearly filled up. My other workshops are listed below.)
Reserve your spot now for a workshop in 2025:
- Canyon Color for the Painter, Sedona, AZ, March 10-14, 2025
- Advanced Plein Air Painting, Rockport, ME, July 7-11, 2025.
- Sea and Sky at Acadia National Park, August 3-8, 2025.
- Find Your Authentic Voice in Plein Air, Berkshires, MA, August 11-15, 2025.
- Immersive In-Person Fall Workshop, Rockport, ME, October 6-10, 2025.