From Root Canal Dread to Painting Confidence
Some of my favourite teaching moments have very little to do with the finished painting.
On a glorious sunny day at Mawgan Porth Beach, Cornwall, I welcomed two lovely people for an Art At The Beach lesson. As we chatted before we started, the gentleman quietly admitted something that made me smile.
He thought spending an afternoon painting would be about as much fun as having a root canal.
He was convinced he did not have the ability to paint and was not at all sure he was going to enjoy himself.
His friend, however, had a little smile on her face. Somehow I think she knew things might turn out rather differently.
As the lesson unfolded, something wonderful happened.
Instead of worrying about whether he could paint, he became curious. Questions replaced doubt. Observation replaced assumption. Confidence quietly began to grow.
Through the principles of Visual Awareness, the focus shifted away from trying to create a perfect picture and towards understanding what we were really looking at. The painting became a natural result of observation, knowledge and encouragement.
Then came my favourite moment.
At the end of the lesson he smiled and said, “I can’t believe that’s been three hours. It’s gone so quickly!”
For me, that was the real compliment.
Both students left with paintings they were proud of, wonderful memories of their time at Mawgan Porth Beach, and one chose to take home one of my books so the learning could continue after the lesson.
I always remind students that the lesson does not have to end the moment we pack away the paints. If someone needs the occasional five or ten minutes of reassurance, a question answered or a little boost in confidence, I am happy to help.
Visual Awareness has always been about far more than painting.
It is not about perceived talent. It is about learning to observe, understanding the fundamentals of art and discovering that you are capable of far more than you first believed.
Perhaps the greatest picture created that afternoon was not the one on the canvas.
It was watching someone discover that something they had been dreading had become something they genuinely enjoyed.
Sometimes the biggest masterpiece is changing the way we see ourselves.
