I have been taking a little art course over the past few months. It is given by the neighbor of a friend and is in the woman’s home. It has been a nice diversion, but during the past two classes I have not been thrilled with her approach to teaching. I have found her to be inconsistent and a bit scattered. I also don’t like the way she keeps drawing on everyone’s drawings. I have a drawing at home that I keep getting compliments on and I know that the crucial details are not my own and keep feeling like a fraud. Yesterday’s class took the cake, was the cherry on the sundae (trying to use food puns here!).
We were working on a still life consisiting of a vase and some fruit sitting on a table draped in fabric. Before we start in on the good paper, she has us start out with a smaller sketch, to get the proportions and placement the way we want it. So far so good.
So now we have moved on to the good paper stage. I am cruising along, sketching it in as I see it and as I did it on the practise paper. The teacher is standing behind me and then says, “Ann, it is surprising that for such a large person you are so un-generous on the paper. Look at Donna’s (another lady in the class) she is so skinny and she is using the whole page. You need to be a more generous person.”
This pissed me off on many levels:
- 1. I am a large person. I have a mirror. I don’t need you to tell me.
- 2. Size is not an indication of temperment, any more than skin color, eye color, height etc. Don’t make presumptions based on the size of my ass.
- 3. I am not un-generous.
- 4. This is how I did it in my sketch, I was centering the vase to leave room at the top for the draped fabric background. Why wasn’t something said at the sketch stage?
- 5. Why didn’t I drop this class when I thought she was just a lousy teacher?
I had a big debate with myself whether I was going to post about this. Exactly what is the function of this blog? How much to reveal, what is the purpose and who am I doing this for. I have read other’s sites where they are wondering the same thing – and honestly, the sites that do reveal the humaness of the author are the ones that touch me.
ps.I did not do the sketch that I uploaded with this post – wish I could claim it! I think she is beautiful! you can find her here
purlingswine 
I’ve know you just about the longest (except for maybe those relations of yours) and this is what I know about you:
You have a kind heart
You have a loving spirit
You are generous with your time, multiple talents, phenominal intelligence, experience, judgements, money, and love
You are a POLLYANNA
….all of which is exactly why you kept giving this “teacher” a chance (amongst other people in your life)in hopes that you would find some redeeming quality in her.
I love you and that is all you should care about!
Here is to C.L.!!!!
Talk about RUDE! How anyone could say such a thing about you is beyond me! Don’t let her stop you from exploring your artistic side. Just remind yourself that unlike your teacher you know a thing or two about how to treat others! Hold your head high and draw your vase how ever YOU see it! Love you! Jane
ann – you need to just dismiss her comments as the rambling of an insensitive person. how thoughtless, how cruel , inconsiderate and perhaps even unintentional. and from an artist who should be insightful. you have so many talents and wonderful qualities that she just ‘can’t see”
sil
hey i love ann like the rest of us. We be your ever lovin fans. but I think we are all getting too carried away by one comment from a European woman who’s Russian background allow her to more casually say things. Her comment didn’t reflect anything about your inner or outer beauty, artistic talent, or kindness and goodness as a person. Which we know abound. so I think it was not meant quite in such the way your taking it.
That is just unbelievable. To me, the issue is not noticing bodies – a visual artist is trained to do that – but ascribing value to them. Would you feel comfortable confronting her about this? I would be tempted to tell her how unprofessional that was and how uncomfortable it made you feel. Maybe she would think twice before inflicting that kind of judgement on someone else.
The ignorance of others clearly annoys me and then I feel sorry for them. She is the one losing out on this one, Ann. Her insensitivity for a supposedly creative person is astounding. I, myself, live the motto… I am who I am and if it is not your cup of tea, it’s your loss. You can’t teach shallow people class. I love you, all of you (clie and all). You make my day everyday. I read this religiously and tell everyone about it. Don’t let one sour person ruin the beautiful person that you are.