This past summer, and now fall, I have been having weekly painting classes in my studio.
Teaching involves a lot of thought, and prep work , but is quite rewarding.
After all, I'm distilling over two decades of painting experience into 3 hour sessions.
I'm always amazed with how much I LEARN when I work with students.
It is sometimes a challenge to articulate ideas that are all about the creative process, but I have found that having to do so really keeps me on my toes. It is a creative act in itself to come up with exercises and aspects to focus on.
Sometimes the questions asked really make me think.
I do know that my strong suit is in critiquing student's work. It is always great to encourage the strong points in a painting, as well as suggest areas to work on. I am sometimes self conscious when demonstrating, so doing so for a class helps me grow in that area.
Most of the people I work with are lovely, and I am gratified by seeing the growth. Not very often, but sometimes patience is tested, so it is good to practice tolerance, and remember that everyone has hopes and dreams.
Teaching is not for everyone. Sometimes artists are wonderful painters, and not so great at conveying the ideas, and conversely, some are good at relating to people, but the painting knowledge is lacking. So, if you find someone who is good at both, that is great!
