"The object of teaching a child is to enable the child to get along without the teacher. We need to educate our children for their future, not our past"... (Arthur C. Clarke)
My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyable elements while gently introducing the technical and academic. Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter, the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable.
My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyable elements while gently introducing the technical and academic. Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter, the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable.
I could tell you that art plays a large part in making our lives inheritantly richer. Imagine, just for a sec, a life without art! (You may think "So what?", but please consider the impact that lack of graphics would have on your favorite computer game.) Art stimulates different parts of our brains to make us laugh, cry or cause us to riot, with a whole range of emotions in between. Art gives us a way to be creative and express ourselves. For some people, art is the entire reason they get out of bed in the morning. You could say "Art is something that makes us more thoughtful and well-rounded humans."
This is my confessional. After thirty years of teaching most of what I learn in art and in teaching is a direct result of mistakes I make. I become aware of problems after something unpredictable happens. I get into habits that are hard to break. It is sometimes hard for me to see an issue until it presents itself in the form of frustration. Every student is different, so teaching is never an exact science ... I am tempted to be pleased if a few of my students do well.
It is when I wonder why some do poorly, that I keep trying something different. It is when I wonder why some fail to enjoy what seems like so much fun for others, that I question what I am doing. Some of these points are 180 degrees from where I was when I started teaching art. Some are direct opposite the ways I was taught. You'd think after fifty years of doing art I would realize that I still have a lot to learn ... about art and about teaching.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Back after a month of hospitals and therapy, but actually back teaching - now for something different
a japanese composition term in design &pictorialcomposition - "Notan" has been making the rounds lately and caught my attention and explains why some art "works" better than others... How to Make Stronger Compositions Using Lights and Darks
Many cultures throughout history have created artwork using both styles, design &pictorial, although the actual term Notan appeared a lot later. there are actually two approaches to Notan: the first approach is mainly pictorial while the second is more akin to graphic design
-------------------------------------------------
Why teach it, because simply it makes sense.
-------------------------------------------------
