I started teaching art in February 2019.
The main reason I decided to teach painting was just a simple need to pass on my knowledge. I have learned a lot about art in recent years. I gained confidence which was really needed. I got over my insecurities. I learned that painting is a process and needs constant fixing. It needs lots of analysing and you need to be present.
What I really teach is how to be present. By focusing on details, you kind of switch off from the distractions and learn to move on, step by step, closer to the final work.
While painting, I give lots of tips on how to make certain things look how you visualize them. But what I really do is direct you to think your own way, by questioning your actions and understanding the result of brush strokes.
I also give students an option on which style they want to paint in. For example, abstract art is about flow and I try to be there just as a supporter. Realism is full of analysing, thinking, fixing and understanding. Impressionism is more about getting a feeling of something and painting it through the flow.
I learned that people like different things but also, they need different styles. It depends a lot on the emotions of the painter.
I know now that colours have an impact on students. Being able to mix a colour to what your eye desires can be so powerful that you can feel it within your body. It’s a visceral reaction. To quote some of my students: “I could eat this colour.”
Why do I enjoy teaching art so much? I love to see that someone is learning. Some of my students haven’t painted for ten years since school and are rediscovering the meaning of art to them. Some of my students just love painting so much that being present in class is just indispensable.
The joy of seeing someone developing is the best. So is knowing that you can pass on knowledge that can touch someone. I believe painting is healing and nurturing. It is good for mental, physical and spiritual health. I have seen it myself.
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