I have spent years developing my own highly-acclaimed art course and approach to teaching.
Initially, I strip back to the structure of art and explain the core fundamentals. I see this as the equivalent of exposing the grammar, spelling and punctuation of art, the how’s and why’s. This is, of course, the way we teach maths, music, science, and languages.
This tool kit of knowledge enables students to fully understand the structure and logic of their artworks. It enables them to utilise these artistic tools to create their own unique artworks. These artworks then become the artistic metaphorical equivalent of a poem, a love letter, a shopping list or a legal document, based on the language of art, rather than just mimicking someone else’s style.
It is great fun, highly informative and inspires students to believe in themselves whilst creating their own unique style.
My course opens eyes and draws attention to the negative habits, fears and assumptions that may keep you from discovering your full potential in all areas of your life.
This course is suitable for all ages (I usually suggest 10 plus) and all abilities. The art course gives a solid grounding of the core knowledge and skills of Sketch, Perspective and Paint and thus facilitates excellent results within a noticeably short time…usually 9 to 15 hours.
Novices, professional artists, and architects have all found useful information, concepts and ways of thinking during my courses, which they say they had not encountered before. They often say “Everything you have said is so obvious, yet I have never heard of it or thought of it before”.
Over the years I have taught in private and state schools across England and Australia.
20 years ago, I had a life-changing experience when everything altered for me. This experience led to this unique approach.
I was in my late 40s and was riddled with arthritis in both my hips. I was in almost constant pain as I walked, meaning I noticeably limped. I had been a sprinter and long and high jumper at school but had never been any good at gymnastics. I was getting outstanding art results from all my students by focusing on the positives and teaching what I would call the core mechanics of art, which underlay all artist concepts and techniques. I was becoming increasingly frustrated with school systems that sometimes spent too much time wanting copying rather than explaining how to utilise the core concepts of art.
I have three children and always wanted to encourage them to follow their dreams and passions. My two daughters completed degrees in business and occupational therapy, respectively. However, my son was a bit of a square peg in a round hole and did not enjoy mainstream education.
James wanted to entertain and juggle and so he ended up leaving home at 16 to attend an amazing school 8 hours away from Sydney, called the ‘Flying Fruit Fly Circus School’. Many of the school’s students go on to Cirque Du Soleil. Two years after he started to attend this school, the host family he had lived with could no longer accommodate him as they were moving away. I decided to move down with him so he could do his final year at the school.
Soon after I arrived, I was offered a temporary job teaching art to the students at the school. There was, however, a condition attached to the job…which I had not anticipated. I was to attend one of the two daily, three-hour training sessions for the students. I agreed but pointed out I would not be able to do much due to my arthritis.
One day I shall tell you the whole story, but the brief version is this. Instead of asking me to do impossible things and then humiliating me for my inadequacies, they sat me down with a coffee and asked me why I believed I could not do gymnastics. They gradually broke everything down, starting with my mental blocks and beliefs. Next, they worked on my physical restrictions by changing my posture (they restored more movement in an hour than I had had in five years of mainstream physio and massage). Finally, they taught me the physics … the how’s and why’s …the grammar, spelling and punctuation of the activity I had chosen to try. I chose, in jest, to tightrope walk!
Three hours after having arrived hobbling and riddled with arthritis, I was tight rope walking… No Harness… No pole… A proper tight rope.
A week later, I was in a show on the tight rope with another woman!!!
The way they taught me allowed me to understand and then believe it was possible. The truth is that tight rope walking is not walking, the physical gait is different, the weight distribution is different, the centrifugal forces required are different, the way you use your brain is different etc. It is a bit like a magic trick - what you believe you are witnessing is not what is really happening. I realised the same is true of art. We often use the wrong skills, the wrong posture, the wrong physics, the wrong core knowledge, and by doing so prevent ourselves discovering our true potential in art and life.
In that first moment, standing unaided on the tightrope, my world changed. I decided to leave mainstream teaching and Australia to set up teaching art using these same principles used by the Fruit Fly Circus mixed with 30 years of teaching art.
I have been privileged to use my methods with individuals via Zoom, on the beaches of Cornwall and for charities, groups, large corporate bodies including UK Sport, the Eden Project, the Neuroscientists at Oxford University and BNP Paribas Bank to name but a few.
My principles are:-
Change your….
Psychology - Mindset Physiology
Physical Position - Physiology
Core fundamental knowledge - Physics
If you change these, you can then change and adapt your outcomes in art and so much more.
Understand the how's and why’s – the grammar, spelling and punctuation of art.
Don’t just mimic art…. Develop your own unique skill set…
Thank you for reading my story
Jeanni
