Teaching Philosophy
As a foundation for beginning art students, my first objective is to instruct and demonstrate how to see and observe from nature. This begins with learning how to accurately sight and measure using various methods; and then studying the elements of gestalt and design and how they affect our way of understanding what we see. Since skill is built through repetition of these learned principles and concepts, I encourage my students to develop their ability further by placing an emphasis on the production of multiples in the studio environment.
Working quickly and serially is an effective method for my students to practice their abilities while engaging with ideas that relate to their interests and sensibilities. Creating in this way embraces experimentation and invention in a virtually risk-free environment. Essentially the classroom is a laboratory where students explore different techniques, materials, and media with traditional and non-traditional methods of creation. Nothing is off limits within reason, since progress is made through trial and error. Within this period of growth, my students become deeply involved with material and process. This coupled with individualized attention and group critique ensures that future work and concepts may be explored with confidence. As these foundations are laid as the construct, each student works toward developing varied bodies of artwork that may be further refined, redirected, or built upon.
During these stages of development, there may be gaps between each students’ intentions and their accomplishments. While there is a healthy dialogue between classmates and intertwined ideas, individualized communication ensures that critical discussion is appropriately directed toward each students' sensibilities. This includes a critical analysis and current contemporary discourse that is expanded upon by supplemental reading material and the students' own personal research. It’s my overall mission as an instructor to assist each student with their individualized goals and to help guide their self-directed research as it pertains to their marriage of form and concept.
Working quickly and serially is an effective method for my students to practice their abilities while engaging with ideas that relate to their interests and sensibilities. Creating in this way embraces experimentation and invention in a virtually risk-free environment. Essentially the classroom is a laboratory where students explore different techniques, materials, and media with traditional and non-traditional methods of creation. Nothing is off limits within reason, since progress is made through trial and error. Within this period of growth, my students become deeply involved with material and process. This coupled with individualized attention and group critique ensures that future work and concepts may be explored with confidence. As these foundations are laid as the construct, each student works toward developing varied bodies of artwork that may be further refined, redirected, or built upon.
During these stages of development, there may be gaps between each students’ intentions and their accomplishments. While there is a healthy dialogue between classmates and intertwined ideas, individualized communication ensures that critical discussion is appropriately directed toward each students' sensibilities. This includes a critical analysis and current contemporary discourse that is expanded upon by supplemental reading material and the students' own personal research. It’s my overall mission as an instructor to assist each student with their individualized goals and to help guide their self-directed research as it pertains to their marriage of form and concept.