Do All Professional Artists Teach Art? #11

The Art Lady – As Seen in Villager Magazine – by Arrachme

Let’s explore career paths and life experiences that help form an art teacher.  Why does this matter to you?

My first job at age eighteen was titled, The Art Appreciation Lady. I remember standing in front of my first class with a racing heart.  My head was filled with the contradiction of joy and complete intimidation. I wondered if I had enough tools in my toolbox to benefit the young minds that sat in the chairs before me. 

Over the subsequent years, I was fortunate to move freely through different segments of the art world gaining the momentum and the confidence needed to teach adults. After returning to my favorite state of Florida, it would be several years before I would teach again. My focus was on expanding my brand as a professional artist.   I would say that traveling abroad with the complex exhibiting commitments, rooted my feet solid in the ground like an old oak tree. I could teach with utter and complete confidence. Self-confidence was needed because not only would my classes attract students that were new to painting, but seasoned art teachers also registered.

How did travel and relocation help?

Light is affected by the weather in different regions. Colder areas have less light, so the people relate more to deeper darker colors.  In addition, the studies that demonstrate that the same color can have different connotations depending on the area of the world that people hail from were enlightening. Early impressionists knew to observe light on flat open grassy fields as well as light in the mountains. The mountains can block out light.  Art is such a vast subject that it is impossible to get bored. Maybe that is why artists are so passionate. Art has a deep solid foundation, whilst at the same time, it demands adaptability to constant flowing change for ultimate creativity. 

My decades of working as a fine artist with colleagues from different cultures and origins instilled empathy and a gentle teaching style that only comes from observing a multitude of varied perspectives. It expanded the necessary acceptance of others. 

Art is subject to developing a personal creative visual language. Therefore, how could there be right and wrong? These are all beneficial when teaching art classes. Rigidity disappears and is replaced with a willingness to listen. I feel that this developed skill is like the flexibility of a soft willow that can sway in the wind.

Upon arriving in my community, I immediately joined a few local art hobby clubs. One day, a lady said to me in a strong voice, “Real professional artists, all teach.” She sent me on a journey to research everything I could find on this statement. Do all professionals end up as teachers? The word ‘all’, negated the blanket statement because not all professionals have the desire or the necessary skills.  Even though this was directed at me in a not-so-flattering way, I am eternally grateful to this lady as she was the catalyst of my return to teaching. Soon after, I developed a program and started teaching art classes to mature adults, at The Lifelong Learning College. A few years later the program name would change to The Villages Enrichment Academy. The happiness on the students’ faces has fueled the desire to keep working toward a ten-year mark while expanding my creative educational program. I can say that the most important reason I teach art is to give back to the community in gratitude. Many professional artists teach but not all. Vincent Van Gogh is a prime example of a great master that did not choose to teach. He did however spend time attempting to pull together his tribe of similar driven artists.

Juggling both a professional art career and being an art teacher requires dedication and focus. My daily formula is as follows: two hours of continuing education, two hours of administration which includes market branding, and the rest of the day is dedicated to painting. Teaching takes a different skill set than the actual act of creating art. There is a point of overlap. If we look at this from the perspective of the left brain versus the right brain, it becomes clearer. Creating the curriculum for art classes is completely left-brain, meaning it is very detailed and heavily administrative. Contrary to this, the actual painting is completely creative, therefore it evolves from the right brain.

I have observed that professional fine artists have built their careers by developing the ability to move freely from right-brain activities to left, then back again. When an artist is painting, there is a point when the world disappears. We can call this autopilot. The artist is completely engaged, interacting with the painting in the present moment.  Let me describe how this works for me when teaching. Roll call begins, the clock ticks, and before I know it the outside world has disappeared. The students are happy, and the class ends. This is the same joyful, highly creative space that happens when painting. Teaching can be an immersive experience, just like creating fine art.

Artists are unique people. We can see the big picture through different vantage points. The world is full of possibilities. The next time that you decide to take an art class for yourself or register a loved one, you will be armed with some questions to ask about the background and history of the teacher.