Thoughts From Marsha

Many of you know I have been teaching art for quite a long time. Hmmm... something like 30 years. At least I think that is close. I love teaching! It is almost better than creating a successful painting!

I have files and more files of each of the workshops and classes I have taught over those years. I taught weekly classes through one of our local organizations. Then I branched out and started teaching at a local gallery and moved it later to our City of Smyrna Community Center. And ... I taught occasional classes on specific topics at my home over all those years... and private students during quite bit of this time.

Some of those first students at the Mable House stayed with me through several of those transitions and were with me about 15 years. I stopped those weekly classes in 2010.

But back to those workshops!

During all of that, I started being asked to teach at regional art organizations for 2 or 3-day workshops. It worked wonderfully because those organizations had built in students just chomping at the bit to find new ideas to help them progress with their artwork. And, I was always coming up with some new ideas to help them. Best of all .... I kept learning as well.

When you are teaching and filling your workshops, the word gets around. Other organizations around the Country decided to give me a try as well.

Private workshops became a wonderful addition to my teaching! It was always a treat when someone walked up to me at an event, or I received and email asking, "I hear you teach workshops! Would you be interested in teaching in my area?" Wow! That was always a fun thing to hear because it allowed me to travel to areas I might not have visited without that workshop. Think of Denver CO, Bellingham WA, Melbourne FL, the Adirondacks in Upstate New York ... just to name a few! I even carried a few of my local student to France one year for a retreat ... not technically a workshop, but very close!

I had a person that attended a gallery opening, purchase a painting, and then found out I was teaching a workshop in the area a few weeks later. She took the workshop, and then hired me to teach her and three sisters and Mom at their place. Later she asked me to come to Florida and teach a group of friends. That led to me teaching that particular workshop for 17 years! Wow!

I'm still teaching, maybe not to the number that I was around 10 years ago. Well why not, you ask? Travel became a little more expensive for one. But the largest reason is there are so many wonderful artists out there that have learned how much fun, and how much they learned, by planning and teaching workshops. Students now have many artists they can choose from... and finding the right teacher is important.

Why am I writing about this?

Do your homework when you start thinking about taking a workshop or class from another artist. Take the time to look at their work and see if you find something in it you are interested in. That might be number one in my book.

Second is look at contacting some people you may know that have taken a workshop and ask how they enjoyed it. Read about their workshops online and any reviews you can find.

There are many wonderful artists out there, but it does not mean they know how to teach you! Even just a personality quirk is what may make that teacher not the right one for you. I have said many times: "not every  student is right for that teacher." Believe me, I have taken from a couple of workshop teachers that I did not resonate with. Wonderful people and artists, but somehow it did not translate to my way of learning. It happens! Trust your gut and move on!

I started thinking about how we learn this morning.

I decided to write about a small portion of it in the context of taking an art workshop. They are loads of fun, and I tell students all the time. They can also be very frustrating. Just go with it! You will have thoughts come up for years after a workshop and all of a sudden, it fits what you need right at that moment.

Just because it did not show up immediately, does not mean you didn't learn from that workshop or class you took last week! I know because it has happened to me.

Above all, have fun and keep learning. If you are a teacher ... same thing! Have some fun and give all you have!