Letter From a Student: How Do You Feel About Art Class?

It can be elusive, the creativity, the emotion, release of something inside oneself, the sense of projecting yourself through art.  To some it can be threatening and something to avoid at all costs, to others it is a portal that is worthy of pursuit.  Self-expression through art may sometimes be achieved as you strive with attempts to create a reasonable facsimile, or better yet, your own interpretation of an image, someplace that speaks to you, something or someone that holds special meaning to you.  Capturing and holding onto the creative spark can be difficult and it is helpful to find a group of like- minded people who share the rush when the creative juices are flowing and to help prime the pump when they are not.

 

We listen, learn, and may be challenged with the many layers of complexity concerning color, values, soft and hard edges, composition and brush strokes as well thumb nails sketches. It's a continuous struggle to find that place where your creative drive finds synchronization with artistic technique.  Success occurs in varying degrees, but one hopes for gradual and steady progress and the occasional personal gratification of a piece just finished that just seemed to work.  Or, it may occur on a piece that slowly crept out as you were incrementally rewarded for the right combination of discipline and experimentation and the application of successful techniques to canvas.  Searching for and finding that sweet spot where you apply the disciplines learned while at the same time getting loose and just letting it flow is the goal.  The reward might be that of a piece of work that could convey a peaceful serenity, a swirling wind, the chill of a winter night or heat of a summer day, the glow of sunlight, distant mountains, a rushing stream, reflections off the water or the feeling of actually being there for the viewer.  This doesn't happen by accident.

 

A competent teacher with not only knowledge but ability in multiple mediums is essential.  Also required is the ability to provide constructive critical feedback and be willing to repeat it as many times as required until we finally demonstrate that we get it on the work we perform.  Learning something from each piece is important and is the foundation from which our progress is dependent.  It requires a special gift to achieve all of this while providing the students with a continuous flow of shared art learning experiences from years of study and work as well as fun and laughter.

 

It may have been serendipitous to end up in such a class, but once found, the level of enrichment to your artistic endeavors will be richly rewarded.