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I like to begin every workshop with three rules that define my purposes and expectations for the class. 

These rules apply to all subjects and mediums:

• Ask questions
• Try something new
• Make mistakes

Ask questions: At workshops, questions often begin with, “This is a dumb question, but…”   There are no dumb questions; questions are how you learn.  They can range from technical matters such as measuring or color mixing to more philosophical inquiry such as, “How do you find inspiration?”    When I am teaching I gauge where to go next or which approach to use by the questions students ask. If you are worried about being judged then know that others are curious too and will appreciate you speaking up.  If you did not understand the answer then ask the instructor to clarify what they said.  Everyone has a unique learning style and it is the job of the teacher to use different methods to explain a concept.

  These photos are from a recent portrait workshop with a wonderful bunch of artists who asked lots of good questions.

Try Something New:  My job is to introduce students to new concepts and give them exercises that will reinforce the idea.   A student’s job is to do the exercises while paying attention to how uncomfortable they feel.  Uncertainty and fear are common reactions to new challenges; it is how you react that determines how much you will get out of the lesson.   Fear of creating a “bad painting” can keep students in a rut where their usual method of painting feels safe.   Ask yourself, “What will happen if I try something new?”  The best thing that can happen is that you will learn something that will increase your skills and confidence.   The worst thing that will happen is that you may have to toss a piece of paper or canvas.  In my opinion the benefits outweigh the risks.

On the second day the model was posed under a red light to teach color theory. 

 Make Mistakes: I encourage all painters to embrace mistakes as a platform for learning.  Once you are aware that fear is holding you back then you can ignore it and use your mistakes to ask new questions. Often you have to repeat the mistake several times to understand how it holds you back.  The goal of a workshop is not to create a great piece of art but to discover ways to expand your artistic voice.  Mistakes are vital to the learning process of the artist and the consequences are minimal.  If I make a mistake on my painting, no one is inconvenienced or hurt.  Thank goodness I am not a pilot, accountant, or surgeon!

The goal of a workshop is not to create a great piece of art but to discover new ways to express your artistic voice.   Take the opportunity to push yourself out of your comfort zone by asking questions, trying something new and learning from your mistakes.  This will help you get the most out of a workshop and become a stronger artist in your studio.

The last day of the workshop the lesson was about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and making the portrait more expressive.  I did a demo where the model was back lit, which definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone!

Special thanks to Sara Hadley for taking these photos!