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Darcy M.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I teach the fundamentals of drawing and painting in the tradition of realism. I conduct an interview with potential new students to review their current work and to find out what they hope to accomplish. If we feel it's a good fit a price and schedule will be agreed upon to meet weekly. The student will be required to do work outside the lesson and that work will be critiqued in class. I have expectations that the student is serious about learning and wants to progress, and in that end will do the assigned work. Students will learn about constructing drawings and paintings by exploring and experimenting with important concepts such as idea or vision, composition, shapes, values and form, light and shadow, depth, solidity, and color.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I'm primarily a self taught artist with 40 years of study, which includes many workshops and one-on-one private lessons with Master Artists. I've had paintings in juried shows, have won awards, and sold my work. I teach the fundamentals of drawing and painting, oil painting being my primary medium, in an effort to help others learn. I typically do not teach students under the age of 14 years old. I've helped young and old alike grow and progress in their craft, and have had a number of students enter scholarship programs, one a Presidential Scholar of Arts in 2009.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
My pricing varies depending on the student's needs, how often they can come for lessons, and how many hours they can spend in class. For private lessons I typically recommend a student attend a weekly class of no less than one hour long. Typically students will find that this is not enough time and usually increase the lesson time to two hours.
How did you get started teaching?
I began teaching in 2007 when the parents of a high school adolescent asked if I would help their son with his art. He had little attention to his academic education and only cared about drawing and skateboarding. I agreed to help and he advanced quickly in his drawing and painting skills, and his outlook on his other classes in school improved. He got into a number of summer scholarship art programs and ended up getting almost a full-ride scholarship to the Maryland Institute College of Art. From there I began to teach both high school students and adults, even senior-age students that wanted to draw and paint as a youth but passed up the opportunity. I enjoy being able to share what I love and helping others grow and develop their own creativity and art.