I believe my practices as an artist will help me to relate to my students on both an academic and personal level. Being an artist means investing time in the process of trial and error as well as finding a unique way to express oneself. Students will look to me for encouragement as they struggle to achieve the desired effect and when they feel they have lost their way on the road to creation. We will be able to share stories and help one another to grow from any problem that may be standing in the way of the creative process. I hope my advice and experience will teach them to expect the unexpected and to keep their mind open to the transformation of ideas.
Artists learn how to express themselves and in achieving that skill they also pick up the essential skill of successful communication. Not only do artists have to be able verbally explain their work, they also need to be able to be articulate writers in the sense that they must explain the all inspiration, techniques used, and the step-by-step process that led to the finished product. If one masters the art of explaining to others the way in which they passionately achieved a fine piece and is able to understand the importance of the developmental process then they have been granted the teaching seed.
As an older artist who has been in practice for years I hope to serve as a strong tree for my students to lean on; roots firm in classic technique, strong trunk sturdy with experience, and long extending branches reaching to seek the latest trends. My work is a part of that tree and will be shared with my students so that they can see that I am in constant practice and current in my advice. Pieces will also serve as examples in lessons to validate my stories of creation as well as prove that I practice what I preach.
I love to sketch and carry around a journal to write or draw in, or to plan new projects. My drive to keep producing will only be encouraged by teaching since it will be a new chapter in life to express. Art has always been an outlet for me, a way to communicate what is going through my mind with out saying it, and that is why I believe teaching art will just be a new jumping off point for my pieces.
I believe Vieth characterizes the relationship between teaching and art making as a constant cycle: make art, learn from process, research and learn the latest of what you just made, experience other pieces in that media, and make a purposeful lesson from that experience for your students.
In order to balance the need to teach technical skills with the need to help students make art that is personally meaningful and creative I plan to help students to see the skills as essential tools so that they will be able to easily express themselves in the art realm. One has to learn to walk before they can run.
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I like what you said about the tree and you being their for your students to lean on. I think, also, that you must learn to walk before you run...like your example of learning techniques/ art skills to easily express yourself. I think students, even if they have all the skills, could still find difficulties expressing themselves. I feel like I have lots of technical training but when it comes to truly expressing myself in the art realm, I get boggled. Do you think students will have this problem even if they have all the tools to freely express themselves in the art room?
ReplyDeleteI agree I love the description of the tree. That is such a clever way of putting that. I also like the statement you brought up about being articulate writers, I never really thought about it that way, it just happens, but you're right we do need to write just as well as we create art. So we can explain our expressions. Do you ever find it hard to capture your expressions of your art in writing?
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be an ongoing theme here of the connections between artmaking and writing, or expression between different disciplines in general. I think you brought up a lot of important points, such as the balance of expression and articulation, and the balance of creativity and skill.
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