Two Very Different Lessons... One Shared Foundation
Friday was one of those days that reminded me exactly why I love teaching.
The morning began with a Zoom lesson with a student who had already completed my pre-recorded online Sketch, Perspective and Paint modules, along with the bonus Figure Drawing module, supported by the extra help I provide between lessons.
She now wanted to use that knowledge to explore landscapes, trees, lakes and reflections. We worked through a number of techniques and ways of thinking so that she can use a favourite photograph or sit out in the countryside, combining observation, technique, emotion and her own ideas to create artwork that is uniquely hers.
Later in the day, I welcomed a lovely Australian gentleman to my home studio to develop his Australian folk art skills. It was wonderful spending time with someone who shares both my love of Australia and Cornwall.
We worked through a number of brush techniques used in Australian folk art, helping him refine his skills for the paintings he is planning. His initial nerves and worries soon turned into smiles, giggles and growing confidence.
Moments like these remind me that great teaching is never about getting everyone to paint the same picture. It is about giving people the knowledge and confidence to express themselves in their own way.
People often ask what style I teach.
The answer is... I don't teach a style. I teach understanding.
If you browse through my website, you'll find architecture, realism and the Cornish seascapes I'm perhaps best known for as an artist in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall. Although they appear very different, they're all built on exactly the same foundations.
Those foundations are rather like grammar, spelling and punctuation. Once you understand them, you can write a shopping list, a love letter, a poem or a legal document. The knowledge remains the same. Only the application changes.
Art is no different.
Whether you dream of painting dramatic Cornish seascapes, detailed architecture, peaceful landscapes, Australian folk art or developing your own unique style, understanding the fundamentals gives you the freedom to make your own creative decisions with confidence.
Once you understand these foundations, you're free to create whatever inspires you and play with your paints and brushes.
Play... being the operative word. In my experience, that's where the magic usually happens.
If you've always wanted to learn to paint or draw, my face-to-face art lessons in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall, Zoom tuition and online courses are all based on the same philosophy: helping you understand what you're seeing so you can develop your own artistic voice.
