About
If you want to study painting and drawing, it's so important to find a teacher you can relate to, one who will understand and support you in whatever you want to achieve. With over 25 years of experience as a teaching artist, that kind of rapport with students is key and is what I would hope to give you, in addition to learning practical skills.
My website hopelondon.com will give you a taste of my work as an artist and teacher, and a sense of who I am as a person. You can see more on Instagram and Facebook @hopelondonartist - also FB page facebook.com/hopelondonifthesewallscouldtalk which is dedicated to my mural project at the Carlton Arms Hotel in NYC in 2016.
My art practice encompasses painting, drawing, murals, graphic novel-style approaches and other media including performance. But painting and drawing are at the heart of it all. They are what opened my eyes to observing the world, even as a child.
As far as formal qualifications are concerned, I have a Master of Fine Art degree from Brooklyn College, City University of New York, where I studied with the painter Philip Pearlstein. I've taught art at university level (Cal State Northridge in the 80s, Liverpool Institute for Performing Art in 90s and 00s) and was Consultant Director of Castlefield Gallery in Manchester, England until 2002 when I moved to Scotland and became deeply involved in teaching and community arts projects as well as my own work. I split my time between a remote part of rural Scotland and Lake Worth, Florida - and technology makes teaching remotely a great option, using FaceTime, Messenger or whatever online app works best for the student.
Art makes life better. And connecting with people as an artist and teacher is one of the most enjoyable parts of my work. I always aim to share my enthusiasm with students so they can experience the challenge, joy and satisfaction of expressing themselves creatively through drawing and painting.
Photos and videos
Reviews
Kerry R.
Colin W.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
We get to know each other through a relaxed, informal discussion - that usually involves looking through a portfolio of their work if they have one, and discussing their goals. What are they aiming to achieve? What particular skills do they want to learn or improve? The student can also see my work on my website and other social media, and I'm interested in knowing about artists whose work they relate to. We then talk about it in relation to their own objectives and set about creating a tailored program of work which we review as the lessons progress.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
MFA (Master of Fine Art) in painting and drawing from Brooklyn College, City University of New York, 1976
BA with Art Department Honors, Queens College, City University of New York 1974
(also a teaching certificate from City & Guilds of London)
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I work with many non-profit organisations, teaching workshops and running arts projects. The normal rate is $45-50 an hour (plus travel mileage costs - not relevant as I plan to teach online for lessons.com). The rate might be different for individual students depending on what they require and what they can afford. I'm open to discussing that with people.
How did you get started teaching?
I'm a native New York, living in the UK for many years and now going back and forth to the States each year, based in Florida. As a young artist in the 1970s Queens, New York , I was involved with an artists' cooperative. I got my start in teaching when asked to run Saturday art classes for children as well as life drawing classes for adults. Later (early 80s), I taught design and drawing at California State University, Northridge and in the 90s taught life drawing at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, tutored students privately and at further education courses for adults, including summer schools at the University of Manchester in England. I've always taught art alongside whatever other jobs I was doing. Since 2009, my work as a teaching artist in the community has grown enormously.
What types of students have you worked with?
Every age group from young children to seniors, including a great deal of recent work with teens. I've worked extensively with young people on the autistic spectrum and people with learning disabilities as well. And I've done projects in prisons, receiving an award in 2018 for co-creating an arts- based learning program to help prisoners connect with their children outside.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Some wonderful projects in 2019 - a community mural designed with an intergenerational community group for the CatStrand Arts Centre in New Galloway, Scotland. And two LifeStories illustrated book projects with young people. You can see some of these on hopelondon.com
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Look at the teacher's work, think about what you want to do - can you relate to each other? Do you want to develop an individual style and approach? Experiment? Learn specific skills? Talk to the teacher and see if the two of you are a good fit.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Exactly what I mentioned above!