The Way Gallery

That depends on what the student wants to accomplish because I tailor a plan for each person individually.  

I have been fascinated since childhood (long before I 'fell into art), by why people do what they do, starting with my own motivations. 

I love the ability I seem to have been born with,  to be able to quickly connect with a new person and let them open up.  The feeling that they can trust me  is not misplaced.

I truly care that each person will get what they need from art, whether their goal is ...just a few hours a week when they can forget the stress of their lives... or the person who craves creativity but doesn't know how to connect their ideas... I am so happy to be able to open up new possibilities.

Most often the first thing a new student may say is a version of, "I'm not creative or artsy but I'd like to try!"

 I recall one of my friends saying this.  She had no confidence but wanted to try anyway.  She had been a previous crochet student of mine. 

I do respond differently to each person but the goal is the same.  In her case I said,

"Well, I believe that there are many endeavours that are creative... I know you ARE because I've seen your beautiful flower garden.   You  instinctively knew what colours to harmonize and where to add flourishes of other colours to catch the eye... you are already halfway there."

Not only did she become a wonderful artist with her own distinctive fresh style, but she has been selling her paintings online for years now.

She now says she is self-taught, which is very true ... she just needed a guide to help her find ways to express it!  

The first thing I tell new students is, "I'm not keen on calling myself a 'teacher' so please think of me as simply sharing what I've learned ... my goal is to be your 'tour guide' through the art world."  

I have never been the type to insist on having things done in a certain way.  When a student encounters an issue, often a matter of not knowing how to get the effect she wants, the 'inventor & problem solver" side of me is engaged!  

I give options to test out plus new ways they might try. When they ask what they should do, I ask which sample they like best.

" Ok then, try it... you ARE  the 'Artiste' after all!  And, remember I promised that most things CAN be fixed/changed.  

    I'll show you many ways to correct what you don't like, but MOST important is that you identified the problem.  You can't fix what you don't see.

    Do you think that these famous artists get it 'right' every time?  No way!  If you try one method and it doesn't work,  you've learned what doesn't work for you ... that's a powerful lesson in itself!

   I'm very sure of that because I've been there myself! " 

Real creativity comes from a vision and then finding a way to satisfy it. 

I assure you I'm not all talk and no action.  I will sit beside a student and demonstrate exactly what I mean.  I don't leave them wandering around in a desert!😉. 

I'll add one more story here (I never run out of stories, as my students will tell you.

I demonstrate a whole painting and for sure one or more will say "Oh I can't do that!"

That's where my often repeated motto came from over 20 years ago... "instead say, I can't do that YET!" 

The thing I explain to every student is the importance of observation of the natural world where light affects colour.  

A new student may know of course that trees are green but showing them the wide range from blue green to yellow green wants to try portraits and darks and lights where the sun filters through the trees.  Early on, each will 'get it' and say they'll never look at a tree the same way again. 

That's the kind of response that is one of my goals...?that they will never look at anything the same way again. 

You'd be dumbfounded if I told you what past careers taught me that were seemingly unrelated! 

It took many years before the pieces all fell into the puzzle.

I didn't even start my art career until I was over 40 and even then, it was unplanned, by me anyway... I really did 'fall into it'.

My friends and students love the story.  

My pricing depends on whether it is a group class, semi-private or private, at their physical location or online. 

I also consider circumstances.  To some people, the cost is reasonable and doesn't  matter... but situations change. 

A  kid's ongoing lessons were often helpful to their particular issues, including being more confident in school.

At times a parent would tell me that they were sorry that their child would have to miss class for awhile. 

I would probe, not to be intrusive, but to determine why this child who was so obviously blooming and loving the art classes, had to quit?  

Finally my gentle but persistent questions would reveal that a parent had lost a job or had an expensive illness. 

"Uh hunh, well I still expect your kid to continue coming to class as usual.  You both need this more than ever. We enjoy having (her/him) as such a positive influence and loved by classmates."

No one ever knew or will ever know.  If we can't have compassion in any of such circumstances, who are we?

My belief in the rightness of this was confirmed by a well known surgeon who excised a very large suspicious lump from my arm for a small fraction of his normal fee.

Having worked in veterinary situations, I watched in fascination as he carefully performed what is far more complex than you would think.

I thanked him for his help and told him that my GP had been really concerned that the growing lump could be cancerous.

I explained that I wasn't concerned about how it was done, so I had suggested to my GP that it would be simpler if he just got out the boxcutter and popped  it out for testing. 

Dr P had been my doc for many years but even knowing how I pull his leg at times, he had been horrified... "Oh No, it would leave a scar and we don't want that for you. Let me call my friend Dr. X who helps us out with cases like this. (oh ok, but it's not like I don't already have a bunch of scars from the thing before.)

I asked Dr. X  why he did this, having huge rent & many excellent employees? (I had no such things to worry about.)

  His response was that some have no problem with cost, while others can't do it, but all have the same  needs. So, it balances out.  

I have been teaching all my life and didn't realize.  Wherever I worked, I would train the new people - it was a job I loved so to me it was a 'perk'!

When I moved to Nashville, I started tinkering around with drawing and then 2 friends talked me into teaching them whenever we had a space to get together.

Then one of them said she was loving it so much she wanted regularity. She hunted around until she found the craft store Franklin...those classes with many more students continued for 16 years from 2004 until Covid shut us down in 2020.