How long have you been teaching art? I’ve been teaching for around 30 years now. My first teaching stint was at Chelsea School of Art in London when I was 27.
How did you come to be an art teacher?
I’ve been brought up around art all my life, particularly painting. My parents are both creative people. My Father, Michael, is a very fine painter, and my mother, Jenny, recently retired from being a potter. My paternal grandmother, Ruth, was also a notable painter and so it must have all rubbed off somehow. Dad taught painting in London, and so
I think it felt like a natural thing for me to do too.
Where did you train?
I went to Camberwell College of Art & Design in London when I was 18, completing my BA (Hons) in painting. Then, when I was about 40 I realised I needed a bit of a push to get things going and headed off to Elam for two years of an MFA (Hons). It was a long gap between studies, but I wasn’t ready to jump into an MFA programme straight after Camberwell.
What inspired you to set up your own school of art?
Funnily enough, the idea of an art school first came about way back, in 1982, just after I had graduated from Camberwell. That year, I came to New Zealand on my OE, and my grandmother, Ruth, first planted the seed of possibilities in my mind. She thought it would be a wonderful thing to do. Somehow, for the following 31 years I resisted it. The school was finally opened in September 2013, in large part because fate intervened and it seemed like it was the right time.
What are your favourite things about being a teacher of art?
I get immense satisfaction from what I do, which is lucky really. I have met some truly remarkable people over the years; people who have lived extraordinary lives and have stories to tell. This feels like something of a privilege really and I’m grateful for the wonderful people I have come to know, both fellow tutors and students. This, and watching people light up as they gradually absorb the positive impact that creativity has made to their lives.
What classes to you offer at your school of art?
We offer all sorts of courses at Browne School of Art, for people of all walks of life. Courses are created to cater for various levels of experience, from beginners to more advanced. We have drawing, painting, and printmaking courses offered through four terms of the year. These cover a broad range of teaching approaches from technical, classical, figurative, abstract, traditional and the more contemporary. We also offer year-long programmes from Painting 1 - 4 for those who want to follow a more in-depth, sequential pathway.
What do you do when you are not teaching?
The school takes up a huge amount of my time, but when I have any time away I gravitate to my studio to concentrate on my own practice. For me, the continuation of my own painting is inextricably connected to my effectiveness as a teacher and to who I am. Downtime with family and friends is important too, and I swim regularly for bodily health, and meditate to still my mind, though in part, painting time of my own seems to do the trick there.
Highlight of your teaching career?
Opening my own school of course.How many other jobs do you get where people thank you every single day for what you have done for them? I’m happiest when I’m not thinking about myself and so there isn’t really a highlight as such... I’m just grateful that for the most part I enjoy what I do and, that somehow, I can make a difference.
Low point of your teaching career?
Hmmm... times of job uncertainty and insecurity don’t fare well. Times when I feel that I have given as much as I can and it still doesn’t seem enough. There are moments when I wonder why I’m doing what I’m doing too... but painting is like philosophy, there are no real unequivocal answers and one must find one's own path to the truth.
How would your students describe you?
That’s a tricky one! I’d hope they’d say all good things... patient, knowledgeable and understanding. With any luck they’d see me as constructively helpful, as someone they can feel creatively vulnerable with in confidence, and as someone they can develop creatively alongside without feeling judged or belittled in any way. I’d quite like the idea that they might see me as someone who laughs a lot too!
If you could wave a magic wand in the classroom...
It would be good to temper expectations and know that creativity is a skill, that like anything else, demands time, perseverance and practice in order to embed itself in one's life. If I could wave that wand it would be to instil in everyone who begins this creative journey, that despite all the difficulties and frustrations, it really is a worthwhile and rewarding activity.
Five tips for anyone too afraid to start making art...
1. Just begin. Everyone has to begin somewhere, so be brave and make a start! Ask yourself. "What exactly am I afraid of?"
2. Don’t be afraid to fail... ask yourself “How can I learn to do this and look good at the same time?" ...answer... "You can’t!”
3. Realise that this is going to take time... so be patient and give it that.
4. Make loads of work... set yourself a clear set of goals and aims and stick to this. Make lots of starts and don’t worry overly about the finish.
5. Enjoy and trust the process.