Many artists teach art as well as create. Sometimes it is for additional income, but I think, like me, most teach to share their love of their subject. When I teach and share my passion, ideas and concepts, I also extend my own learning. 

Living in France, I can go to the market and spend time chatting about a particular tomato, how it grows, how it tastes, recipes it suits. This weekly chatter gives a true understanding about the purchase and its possibilities. Yes, shopping can take a while! The joy is through the discussion, whilst savouring the smell and texture of the tomato and the glorious range of colours. The same is true for art. Sharing information and discussing knowledge, with passion and an inquiring mind, is the best way to extend learning. This discussion, like the tomato, should delight in engaging all the senses as this is how we understand art as a language.

Too often art classes rely solely on copying, or an ABC of how to create one particular picture. I have heard of artists going on art holidays only to stand and watch an hour-long demonstration. Maybe that works for some, but it definitely wouldn’t work for me. Art is about doing, exploring and experimenting. Copying an image has its place in learning. It helps with analysing colour, brushwork and strengthens our understanding of composition. However, this should only be a starting point, a structure to develop one’s practice but certainly not the end intention. I need to involve all the senses and make sense of the component parts of every painting to convey my intention, whether that is about narrative or about the joy of paint and everything in between. If we simply watch someone painting, we are limited to their process, whereas I advocate taking ideas and drawing out individual creativity. We are limited to using our eyes only. Whereas when we paint for ourselves, we feel the texture of it as we work from the fluidity of watercolour (or diluted acrylic or oil) to thick impasto; we are aware of the tension between us as the painter and the surface, especially the push and pull of a canvas; often we can also smell our medium.

We all learn differently and it’s good to reflect on what sort of teaching works best for us. Whatever the learning style that suits us, we all respond to encouragement and constructive assessment. Horror stories from art school, and from all schools for that matter, tend to come about through the teacher’s desire for power – the power of knowledge and fear of not knowing everything – the latter, of course, is impossible. Encouraging children to learn by exploring, either practically, or looking up information and sharing it in the next class with everyone, allows the child to be excited by their discoveries. This, in turn, empowers them to want to continue their learning process. It is the same for adults. Finding a teacher that circumvents anxiety and cheers freedom can result in more confident artists. However, the responsibility that comes with this freedom is a foundation of understanding the elements and principles of art. 

As a recap, these are:   

The Elements

These are the visual tools which act as building blocks, which give a common language to provide a foundation to understand art:
Line
Shape
Form
Space
Texture
Value
Colour

The Principles:
These describe how the elements work together and are used to ascertain the success and finish of a work:
Balance
Emphasis
Harmony
Movement
Pattern
Proportion
Repetition
Rhythm
Unity
Variety
 

Running artist retreats allows me to share my passion for art through teaching. Yet it also enables me to learn from the process of teaching and from those responding to the art course. As the facilitator, I share knowledge of the art process, perhaps of a particular artist and discuss how individuals might respond creatively and encourage exploring this: learning by doing. I love to see each interpretation and the work that develops from it. In return, often, I am given insight through this communal route which can drive my own work.

Conversely, one’s own art practice also enhances teaching. So, these two disciplines work in harmony. As an artist, I have a dominant element of spontaneity, yet I also analyse and assess my work as it develops, using the elements and principles of art. I write my observations, thoughts, ideas, and critiques in a journal so that I can refer to them – not only for the piece in process but as a learning tool for future work. 

My art journal is also used to collect and generate ideas, and share and expose the risks taken, and any failures. There is much written and rightly prized about using failure in teaching. Recognising and celebrating failure is great for problem-solving and resiliency. Artists can easily get lost in their process when we feel the piece isn’t working. We can be self-critical creatures, at times full of self-doubt, and it is during these moments when it pays to remember the path through the difficult times. Painting over a canvas, for example, is hard but necessary; keeping a section we love whilst painting over can throw the balance as the painting morphs into its next stage. Painting is a journey of ups and downs, of successes and failures, of joy and disappointment. A journal serves as a map to navigate through these challenging stages. 

This progression allows me a deeper understanding of how others might become stuck and how they may respond and therefore improve my teaching.

Art can be a lonely practice. So it is a pleasure to share ideas, the artistic journey and process with like-minded people. Art residencies offer this. I was fortunate enough to be selected for the residency at Chateau Orquevaux in Champagne and be endowed with the Didier award. I was privileged to meet some wonderful international artists of all disciplines and share this enlightening and crucial element with them. We all had our own studios, yet frequent visits – from a head popped around the door, dropping in to ask for a new pair of eyes on a piece in progress – to convening in one studio for the evening (or late afternoon!) drinks and chat, was a key and delightful element to sharing and learning from each other. Great friendships were made, and I am hopeful of collaborations in the future. A small group of us are off to Italy and Paris, where this supportive and inspiring alliance will continue to flourish in the beautiful landscape of Tuscany. No doubt there will be lots of making art but also the chat and reflection that generates an atmosphere perfect for creative flourishing: learning and new avenues to develop our art practice.