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The Most Important Thing I Learned In High School Art Class (Pst.... it wasn't technique)

2/15/2019

10 Comments

 
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For as long as I can remember, I've been a fan of art. All kinds of art, but drawing or sketching specifically. I used to sit at my kitchen table with my colored pencils, while my father cooked dinner, and sketch doodles of elephants and unicorns and fairies. Fantasy always appealed to me and I added fairy wings to everything. It's never just a frog or a cat because a frog or a cat that can fly always seemed a more sensible choice. While my mother was envisioning a career for me in nursing, I was sketching dragons. 
So it seemed a no-brainer, as I got older, to invest a little time in art classes, as part of my school curriculum. I'd always been decent with a pencil, and could work with reference photos easily enough, but looked forward to the opportunity to learn techniques, work with new mediums and stretch my creative wings. 

Little did I know, 8th grade art class would start a downward spiral of negative experience with the "creative" side of the educational system. It begins with Mr. Stanley, whose bald head and pompous demeanor I still clearly envision and, if you can't tell, for whom I still hold a great deal of disdain. 

We were learning to work with pastels. It was my first experience with the medium, and working from the  still life of a fruit bowl (because those are always riveting, am I right?) and I was having a great time dusting all that chalky powder from my hands throughout the class. Mr. Stanley was making the rounds,  looming over the shoulders of students, correcting perceived mistakes and pointing out bad technique. To 8th graders. Sigh.

I was proud of my work, and my fellow students were complimenting me. But, as the teacher rounded my table, he leaned in close and said "I'd like to enter this in the state school art fair, but these shadows need a LOT of work. Make them darker". I didn't think my shadows needed more dimension, but he was the teacher. He knew what he was talking about, right? So I worked those shadows, nervously, while he continued his circuit around the class. Eventually he made his way to me again and said (I kid you not) "That looks like shit. You ruined it." But he took it and shrugged and said he'd enter it anyway.

My junior high school art teacher just told an 8th grader their art looked like shit. 

And you know what? My piece of shit won 3rd place. In the entire state. Out of hundreds of entries. I thought he was rude and pretentious and a snobby critic, but I brushed it off and brandished my winning ribbon proudly while he said "You could have won first place if you hadn't messed it up."
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High school rolled around, and I figured I was done with art class and content to fill my sketchbooks in my own time and work with the medium that brings me joy. I was done with self-important, snobby art-critic teachers. Until I needed a class to fill my schedule and basic art was the only thing available. And you know, it was a good class. My teacher was impressed with me, she wanted to push me and didn't feel she had the tools in an introductory class to do so, so recommended to the school that I move on to the (already full) advanced class.  They made room for me and I was chuffed with myself. But worried. 

For good reason it seems, because I almost failed that class. I almost failed a class in which the content is 100% subjective. The techniques were ridiculous, the projects totally obscure (for instance, we had to make a place setting for a famous person, from the place mat to the silverware). Gone were the innocent days of using oil paints or acrylics or charcoal pencils, because apparently the classics had no place in modern curriculum. The final project was 40% of our total grade and absolutely ridiculous. We had to sketch our home. I lived in an apartment. Do you know how hard it is to sketch an entire apartment building without any prior knowledge or experience with DRAFTING? But I did it, and it looked good. Damn good. 

But that wasn't all. We then had to add texture to our drawing. The door would have carpet on it, for instance, and the windows would have a sponge, and the siding would be popsicle sticks. We had to cut and paste textures to our drawing. Then we would paint the textures and print our homes on a clean sheet of paper. I was horrified. The idea of ruining my perfect, clean, crisp beautiful drawing was heartbreaking to me. And also hella difficult! Because my entire building was comprised of really complicated lines and stair cases and small details, that I now had to try to translate with texture. 

Needless to say, my print was a muddy mess and I received a D on my final exam, and a C in the class as a whole. The only C I received in my entire high school experience. 
So, what did this experience teach me? What did two years of ridiculous projects and pompous teachers reveal to me about my art? 

That I don't need to darken my shadows to benefit the aesthetics of others, and I don't need to make a place setting for Merlin to be artistic (I got a C on that project, by the way) and, as the artist, I know when to stop and when to move forward with my art, and I will never not listen to my own creative instincts. 

Because art is an expression of self. And no one knows me better than me. 

So suck it, Mr. Stanley. I'm an amazing artist, and ENJOY my art, no thanks to your criticism. 

And I hope those of you reading this take your power back from the hands of those who would tear you down. You deserve to enjoy your art. 
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10 Comments
ARTantana link
3/5/2019 01:21:52 pm

OMG!! Nichole I just love your sketches. You are really an awesome artist and absolutely agree with you.
Everything is art. Made my daughter ( who is 12) read this post and she love it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Hugs,
Shantana

Reply
Susie Stinson link
3/5/2019 05:50:21 pm

I hear you gal!! Most my teachers and I didn't get along anyway but I had a couple who were insufferable. First: never trust a man with a bald head. It is probably me but they have no place in my area, where ever that is. Second: you cant take people like that seriously, but a person really doesn't know that till your older.

I am glad you followed through with your art. I also was an oil and soft pastel artist. Your drawings are wonderful. Glad you didn't listen to the bald twinky, that way we get to enjoy more of your talent.

Reply
Victoria
3/5/2019 06:19:48 pm

Nicole,

You have reminded me of my art nemesis - Mr Jane. He was as obnoxious as your Mr Stanley.

I loved creating anything in art classes (they were compulsory) from the ages of 12-15. We did 3D sculpture, my collaborative work was squashed flat and was referred to as a waste of clay but the one that tipped me over the edge was a painting I did that was my best (in my opinion) - an abstract in blues and greens.

Mr Jane said I had to add warm colours to balance the work. I refused. A week later we return to art class and all of our paintings are hung around the room. I could not find mine. He had "re-done" it to show me how the warm colours highlighted the cool colours. There were no cool colours left. I walked out of his class forever, left him with "my" painting and have never picked up a creative paint brush again (house painting excluded).

I have always had a creative channel in my life - jewellery making mainly - but almost 45 years later I am still irked by this horrible man and know how damaging art teachers can be when they impose their art on others, rather than allowing creativity to glow, even if it is sh%t!

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Fiona Jones link
3/6/2019 06:02:12 pm

Thank you so much. I am really getting into fantasy art at present. I struggled with 2D art at school and so did pottery as a 3D form instead. As an adult learner I am so glad my teacher trusts me to stop (unless there is something specific) and allows me to have my art, even when I do keep adding wings onto beings at present and hoping to return to dragons again soon. Thank you, this is so well timed.

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Cheri Lundstrom
3/7/2019 11:47:17 pm

I'm getting up there, I'll be 68 this year. Over the years, I've accumulated a decent assortment of art supplies. I'm so grateful for the internet and all tutotials available. My art is for me and now I'm inspired, thanks.

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lea belcher
3/12/2019 04:22:09 pm

l hate that you had to go through this l had the most awful at teacher up till l was 14 then when l moved to 4 & 5th year ( last years for school in the UK) l had the most awesome art teacher the two years he encouraged and was so positive that l wanted to be an art teacher too. Then when l moved to MO l went to university to get my BA in fine arts the most stupid things l had to do to complete this degree is beyond me but l stuck it out. Now l paint whatever l want all the mermaids and pirates l can draw and create. l now work as a sub at our local school and all the grades know l paint and draw make jewelry and write books and they always come and show me their art which is the way l can encourage them to be creative

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Robin Judd
4/2/2019 01:25:33 pm

Wow what an ass... Big learning curve Nicole, better then than now. You are multi talented no doubt and perhaps he was a failure in his own art endeavors....

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Christina
5/8/2019 01:59:56 am

I have shared your experience with my daughter who has just finished GCSE art at school in the UK, the amount of tears she has shed because her teacher favoured kids and seemed to criticise her work all the time, even making amendments or putting holes in her work where the teacher pressed down too hard on the paper. Thankfully that exam was the first one so instead of giving up like she's threatened she's now starting to enjoy art again and even trying different methods that the teacher didn't encourage. If you wish to she does have her own Instagram that helped her stay positive called g.c.s.e_art_Lucy. Myself personally did art GCSE a long time ago and the wirework stuck out more so, but boys got in the way and i only restarted it 20yrs after leaving school :( x

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Samantha
6/9/2019 09:38:13 am

I read this while doing the Treasure Hunt this month. I'm grateful that my talented daughter hasn't had this type of experience in school. Since first grade, her elementary school art teacher told me she was talented. In middle school her art teachers have helped her to grow into a talented artist. We had to make prints of some of her work because teachers were asking to purchase them, and I wanted her to keep the originals. So far she has had a positive experience. I'm nervous because she's going to high school next year and I hope the positive experience will continue. If not, I'll have her read this post.

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Samantha
6/9/2019 09:42:30 am

Actually, I'll have her read this anyway. A preemptive strike to any potentially creativity sucking future art teacher.

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  • Home
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