Drawing

I have lifetime experience in drawing, and have taken numerous courses in drawing in my undergraduate studies in art. In figure drawing, a human model is used, and students must complete the drawing from their current vantage point. This sometimes challenges them with forshortened perspectives, such as an arm with the hand facing the artist. Timed model poses of several seconds to 1 hr. require everything from a gesture drawing to capture an impression of form and movement, to a detailed rendering of form, shadow, and light. The emphasis is on learning to "see what is there", and focuses on realistic rendering. Interpretive drawing involves the student's creation of imagery that represents their response to an assigned subject or phenomenon. Examples are to draw one's response to a train wreck, or Academy Awards night. There are no requirements of realism or other stylistic genres; simply an interpretive response that can take any form. The purpose is to help the artist learn how to freely translate their emotional response to a subject into imagery, and expand their creativity by producing a novel and truly personal representation. The "expectation factor" is removed to foster the release of the artist's free expression, rather than allowing their perceptions of others' judgment to limit their expression.

Painting

I have a Bachelor's degree in Art, with a concentration in painting. I have also studied art history, and the work of many artists. My painting skills cover a wide range of styles and applications. I can demonstrate the use of acrylic, oil, watercolor, and other paints, as well as texture methods such as impasto. Painting on various surfaces such as canvas, wood, ceramic, and stained glass can also be demonstrated. Basic and advanced techniques and methods are covered, as well as composition and concept development. The imaginal art of painting is important because it offers such a range of expression and meaning. It can focus on rendering skill, such as the realism of Carl Brenders, color, as in the works of Mondrian, the use of light as in Monet's paintings and the stained glass work of Peter McGrain, or the symbolism of Dali. Art can entertain, or be of historical significance as a social statement of the events of its time. Cartoons are a good example of a medium that can and has done both simultaneously. I can instruct you in the techniques of any of these artists or genres, or help you to create a style that is yours alone. However, please note that I do not cover the use of any computer programs that create or manipulate imagery. My instruction covers the tools and materials of the painter, and the techniques to manipulate different media to get the effects you want. But art is more than tools and technique. It is also a study in self-exploration. The outer and the inner world combine with technique to enable the artist to express unique images. Nature, imagination, dreams, and the subconcious are domains that are an endless resource of imagery for the painter. I can help you get in touch with them, explore them, and use them to the best of your artistic ability. I highly recommend that all students view other artist's paintings. Books and online images can inspire your imagination, but visiting art galleries and museums provides a viewing experience that is more impactful. Important features

Special Needs

As an undergraduate, I had many teaching assistantships in which I taught college students and children with psychological, behavioral, and developmental disorders. I have worked as a psychologist for years in both residential and outpatient facilities. The children in the residential programs have a range of psychological and behavioral disorders, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADD, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and other developmental disorders. Most of them had learning delays. These kids tended to have problems with controlling their emotions, and often expressed their frustration as anger. Since anger management was a problem common to nearly all of the children in both of these facilities, I consulted in the development of a class specifically created to teach anger management. I taught this class with the help of a colleague. It had good results, and in a few children the change was dramatic. I have tutored kids with a spectrum of psychological and developmental disorders on a one-to-one basis. Depending on the kind and degree of their disability, I have used different methods to communicate with them, gain their attention, and provoke curiosity, which offers an opportunity to inform. For some children, this opportunity is critical, since their ability to interface with a teacher can be very limited, and no chance should be missed. The opportunity to reward the child in some way should always be sought, even when it only acknowledges the child's efforts to try, or to remain attentive despite the frustration of not understanding something. The methodologies of working with kids with such diverse conditions can be complicated, but several general rules or concepts are of the utmost importance to me. The first is to do no harm. That may seem obvious, but for any of you who live or work with these kids, I'm sure you know how difficult it can be to predict the child's reaction to our attempts to teach, or even just to interact constructively. Nonetheless, it's the teacher's responsibility