Last week I was thinking a lot about my teachers and mentors that helped me become the artist I am today. I can't believe how much these people influenced my art, along with providing me with loads of opportunities.
I can't imagine how hard it must be for those that are self taught. I know that now a days with the internet one can get a lot of
information and watch loads of videos to help them become artists. I do wonder however if the hardest part about being self taught would be who to ask about answering questions that can't be answered very easily by using the internet. Critiques by fellow artists and teachers are such a wonderful tool when creating and being taught by a teacher and fellow artists. Having a teacher help you out really speeds up your learning curve a lot more then if you were to learn it all on your
own.
Having a good teacher and mentor helps one out so much when it comes to developing your creativity and also getting inspired to paint and create. I have had a lot of teachers and mentors that gave me such inspiration when it came to my art and teachings and I believe I did it very quickly because of them.
I had 6 teachers that made me the artist I am today. There was my high school teacher Mr. Rendl, followed by my fundamentals teacher
Mr. Krajecki. Then came my watercolor teacher and mentor Irving Shapiro followed by my life drawing teacher Mr. Parks and oil painting teacher Mr. Smuskiewicz. These 4 teachers I always addressed them as Mr. and to this day I still do. It just doesn't feeel right if I call them by their first name.
After The American Academy I learned from 2 others Robert Wade and then my work mate and friend Max Ranft. These 6 people I will never be able to thank enough for their teachings and
mentoring.
You may be asking yourself why am I bringing up my teachers.... It's because I feel these teachers along with my hard work made me the artist I am today and I don't think I could have done it without them. I probably could have learned a lot on my own, but I think I wouldn't have come as far as I have. I also want you to know that as a teacher I strive to make you the best artist that you can be, and I love it when you achieve the artistic goal you have
set for yourself. And I bring it up in hopes to get you to take as many teachers as you can.
I suggest to all my students to take as many teachers and classes as they can or feel a need to do. Check out their credentials and talk to other students about their favorite teachers and how well those teachers teach. Sometimes there are artists that can create amazing works of art but don't have the skill, passion or devotion to
teach.
Find teachers whose work you like and then research them out. If you like their style and you hear they are good at teaching, take a class from them.
One thing teachers and mentors can't do for you is to do your hard work, that is up to the individual. Working hard on learning and creating is where you need to step in and take care of business. A teacher can give you advice and teach you all they know but in the end it will be your
hard work that will make all the difference in your work.
Pictured below are some of my teachers and mentors work that I have acquired. These paintings hang in my house and every time I look at them I get so inspired and I also hear the teachers words they taught me back when I was in their class.
To all my students, thank you for taking my classes and workshops. I hope my passion for teaching and my lessons help you in your quest
to become that artist of your dreams.
David
