work/learn/work/learn/work/learn...

Teaching painting workshops has been a fabulous way to develop my skills. Learning to communicate about the painting process has forced me to work out how it all happens. How do I set up for a plein air experience? What steps are most efficient and productive when the light won't stay still? How do I balance the elements of a composition to create the visual experience and the  emotional tone of the work? What are the voices of the colours in this place and what are they saying to me today?
The studio presents its own challenges. How can I work from oil sketches and photos on a large canvas and somehow keep the energy and spontaneous feel character in the piece so it looks like it fell off the brush?
Answers for me have been found in preparing to assist others. The pursuit of knowledge, as I heard on the radio this morning, is to probe the depths of our own ignorance. Humility is a tool that holds the door open for new knowledge, skills and understanding to come in.

I always learn from the people taking my workshops...mostly, I learn the things I need to do better.

jda  -  or Big John as my grandsons call me.