Winnie Sidharta Ambron's Painting Lesson
About
I have diverse experience in teaching art, whether it is in the museum setting or school environments. I'm a practicing contemporary painter I believe in the importance of rewarding learning experiences to provide a rich and rewarding education for you. I spent two years as Instructor of record at The Ohio State University while pursuing my MFA and was subsequently hired as an adjunct professor in Painting and Drawing, where I taught beginning and advanced level classes for another two years. I also spent two years teaching art at Multiple Intelligences Pre-School and one-year teaching visual arts at the Compassion for Migrant Children School (CMC) through a community outreach program in Beijing, China. After moving to New York in 2014, I was hired as a Public Program Senior Teaching Artist at the Children’s Museum of the Arts. At CMA, I was responsible for teaching and developing the curriculum for Open Studios, High School Portfolio Development, and New York City Public School Partnership Programs. I'm currently working as Teaching Artist and Museum Educator at Queens Museum and The Rubin Museum of Arts.
In the past two years, I worked as an artist assistant to a conceptual artist, Jonathan Horowitz and was subsequently hired to work as a painting assistant at Jeff Koons Studio. Here, I have learned a lot with regard to the craft, concept, and production of contemporary artwork. In addition to cultivating a variety of new painting techniques, I also gained fresh insight into the conceptual aspects of the work. Being an artist personally has also informed my pedagogical approaches.
My portfolio is available for viewing at www.winniesidharta.com
Teaching art has allowed me to share my passion for art and facilitating the learning experience with care and compassion. My goal is to help students find their own personal strengths by developing a core set of skills that will enable them to express themselves and approach their practices with confidence and insight.
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I usually start by asking students students to draw and paint directly from observation and imagination. I also ask them to share their interests, how would they use materials differently as well as discussing a work of art that is relevant to them. I also ask This will help me to find the student's unique vision and style and reinforce it through an individualized lesson plan.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I trained both in academic style painting and the more open-ended mixed media, experimental and concept-driven approaches.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I will go to the student's place to deliver the lesson. I will teach technique, materials, various surfaces of paintings and I will provide some historical backgrounds and list of artists that are relevant for the lesson. The pricing depends on the number of students, locations and materials required for the class.
How did you get started teaching?
Teaching comes naturally to me. I start teaching when I start learning. Painting is my passion and I put thoughts and focus on it. I would like to share this joy of painting with others through teaching. I have been teaching painting to adult and children for about 8 years now.
What types of students have you worked with?
I worked with both advanced and beginner level Painting and Drawing Students. I teach children and adult from age 3 to 50 years old.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
A wonderful show of one of my favorite painters, Elizabeth Murray at Pace Gallery. The show is full of energy and passion that it makes me want to go to the studio and paint all day.
I also worked part-time at a pigment shop in NYC, where I learn the chemistry of art materials and how to make it beneficial to my practice. I just made my own highly textured absorbent ground and rabbit skin glue gesso that are absolutely wonderful for water-based medium.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Find out about your teacher works and professional experiences. A good teacher should be a good artist too! See the quality of their works, the list of shows that he or she was involved and the diversity of teaching experiences.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Think about the goal and the intention to do the lesson. Also, consider sharing with teachers about their interests and sample of works.