Teaching Introduction & Philosophy
I cherish and enjoy the opportunity to teach classes in drawing, painting, composition, and similar topics of art making. I discovered my passion for teaching while I was in graduate school where I taught four semesters in the art foundations program. During those semesters I gained real experience in lecturing, demonstrating, and critiquing student work objectively. Since then I've received numerous opportunities to teach privately, in workshops, live demonstrations, and at the university level at UMN Morris. Teaching keeps me sharp and reminds me of the importance of being a student of the craft, history, and discourse surrounding my work. When I teach, my philosophy is rooted in the belief that developing intentional habits and progress through risks are far more valuable takeaways than the products of our short time together. My success as a teacher is measured by whether students complete the lessons feeling inspired, confident, and prepared for their own unique work that is yet to be made. I've seen significant progress in the work by students I've taught and there seems to be a few commonalities those students share: patience, an open mind, curiosity, commitment to the process, and grit. I can't guarantee that all of my students will share the same evidence of progress. However, if you take a class or workshop with me I can guarantee that my passion for art will be evident in the pedagogy I'll share with you. I hope this Teaching page can be a testament to the level of care and thought I place on teaching opportunities. I'm very grateful to the organizations and students who choose to invest their time and resources in learning from me. If you have any teaching related questions please contact me via email.
Below you'll find the current list of available workshops I'll be teaching in 2024. Click the underlined workshop title for more information and the registration process for that workshop. Many of the workshops take registration on a different website (usually the art center/organization hosting it). Some of the workshops I teach are organized independently while others are run as a collaboration with art organizations and schools who have invited me to be an instructor. If you are with an arts school, center, gallery, or organization and would like to discuss a teaching opportunity with me for your community please email me here. Thank you for viewing my teaching page. You'll find other learning opportunities, material lists, video demos, and reading lists on this page as well. I hope to see share a classroom studio with you soon!
​​
January
8th - 31st Private Drawing Classes, Grafton, WI
​
May
20th - 25th Faculty Artist, Plein Air Convention & Expo, Cherokee, NC
​
June
27th - 30th Plein Air Workshop, Dubuque, IA
​
August
27th - 30th Plein Air Workshop, Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek, WI
​
31st Scaling Up To A Finished Work, Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek, WI
​
September
16th - 19th Plein Air + Studio Workshop, Pacific NorthWest Art School, Coupeville, WA
​
October
27th - Nov 1st Plein Air Workshop, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN
Art Coaching and Mentoring
​
This Program allows students to sign up for private 1 hour sessions (in person or online) with options to customize the material or guidance I can offer. Topics range from composing strong designs, critiquing works in progress, writing artist statements and more. Spots are very limited and are accepted on a first come first serve basis. Please don't purchase a session or bundle unless we have a written agreement to work together. Sessions may be refunded otherwise. Click the listing to the right to learn more. Mentoring sessions are currently unavailable. Please check back in the future or join my email list for updates.
Here are a few of the responses students have shared from my workshops:
"I always learn so much from your presentations. Your enthusiasm for the creative process is inspiring!" - Susan B.
Have you taken a workshop with me? Would you like to share a testimonial and feedback? Please fill out my workshop feedback Google Form linked here. Thank you to all who have shared responses and helped me improve my teaching methods. I hope to share a classroom studio with you again in the future.
If you're planning to take one of my workshops or would like to know what my primary painting materials are, then download my PDF through the attachment icon to the right. The free document contains images + links of my most used supplies.
Here's a free video I made to show students how to make their own paper viewfinders. If you're signed up for a workshop make sure to watch the video in advance so you can make and bring your own viewfinders to the class. The video covers materials, process, and other helpful tips.
Here's my suggested reading list for topics on drawing, painting, color theory, design, art theory + philosophy, etc. in no particular order. You may be able to find a copy at your library. If not, I've hyperlinked the italicized titles to where you can purchase the books online new, but you might be able to find better prices for used versions!
Color and Light written by James Gurney
The New Oil Painting written by Kimberly Brooks
The Oil Painter's Color Handbook written by Todd M. Casey
Interaction of Color written by Joseph Albers
Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting written by John F. Carlson
Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques... written by Mitchell Albala
Plein Air Techniques for Artists: Principles and Methods... written by Aimee Erickson
The Figurative Artists Handbook: A Contemporary Guide... written by Robert Zeller
Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist written by James Gurney
What Painting Is written by James Elkins
The Poetics of Space written by Gaston Bachelard
The Object Stares Back written by James Elkins