Who's Teaching Whom?

As a perpetual student of the Arts, I'm always excited to get a chance to share my knowledge from a teaching perspective. I was asked by my friends at City Park Movement and Art to be a guest teacher at their Summer Arts Intensive. I wanted to give a meaningful lesson, so I decided to do a class on reflective light as used by the visual artist, a topic I wish I learned more about earlier in my artistic life.

I brought in one of my recent paintings of seagulls to illustrate how a single concept like reflected light can unify a painting, I also thought the young students would get a kick out of the actual painting.

I found this painting a great example of the use of reflective light. There is lots of reflected color from sand in the foreground and blue light in the shadows of the birds reflected from the sky and the sea.

After a quick lecture, the students set up a still life using a coke bottle (that I painted white) and colorful pool balls. I asked them to observe the colors radiating from the pool balls, but also told them that they could do no wrong with this exercise. The results were fantastic!

Every time I teach a painting class of fresh young creative minds, I am invigorated by their compositions and perspective. I always find myself going back to my easel with a new attitude.

One of the students made an awesome portrait of me on the front of a thank you card, I think she nailed it. I couldn't think of a better reward.