As an art educator, my goal is to teach my students the foundations of art, expose them to many possibilities of art making to broaden their artistic perspective, and in return allow them to incorporate what they’ve acquired into their own artistic processes. I believe art is a skill that is sharpened through diligence and practice. The foundations supplement artwork and bring ideas to a more solid and effective finish. It is after we have dedicated time and work into learning the foundations of drawing and painting that our own artistic expression is born.
My approach stems from the perrenialist methodology in which I strongly believe in teaching students the foundations or basics of art. My philosophy is grounded in classical traditions which gives the necessary skills to accurately portray realistic or imaginative concepts. Having a solid background and knowledge that takes root from traditional art will allow students to better shape artistic concepts and bring them to light.
Coming from a school whose teaching philosophy was rooted in classical tradition, I noticed a drastic improvement in skill through the course of four years. In addition, I was exposed to the history of art and theory as well as representation. As Plato states, “The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life”, it is through this program I was able to form original ideas for paintings that were solid and accurately depicted because of my artistic upbringing. This is why I believe devoting time to learning the basics of elements of art through a more traditional setting will set up artists for the future.
Students will be exposed to a variety of mediums; tasked with technical exercises and foundational projects for each category to demonstrate their knowledge of the medium. In addition to the foundational projects, they will also have a creative project per medium where they will have choice of subject as well as artistic style. The classroom will be regarded as a ”safe zone” in which students will be allowed to freely express their artistic vision as well as be encouraged to risk take and be bold on their creative projects after demonstrating the foundational skill. Experimentation will be supported during these stages as it leads the way to discovering their voice as an artist.
The foundational curriculum will be supplemented with frequent presentations of artists both classical and contemporary, taking from art history. Students will have the opportunity to reflect, through in class discussions and activities, on the artist’s intent and style. It is through these presentations students will begin to develop critical thinking/analytical skills and a wide scale of vocabulary used to describe and interpret artwork.
As a student who thrived from a nurturing classroom environment, I want to also create an environment where my students will feel comfortable in reaching out for feedback from the instructor as well as their peers. I’m a firm believer in learning from fellow artists/colleagues as it expands the perspective and is ultimately beneficial to both. I will strive to teach students to give and receive constructive criticism through peer to peer reviews as well as critiques. They will be required to utilize the artistic vocabulary adopted through the frequent artist work presentations and projects.
Taking what you’ve learned and running with it, fearless and open-minded, will allow you to grow even more as an artist. A quote by Neil Gaiman which adorned my senior studio wall in my undergrad that I’ve always remembered stated, “Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes. Make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.”