Interview Details

So the interview for the Fine Arts Studio went very well. I arrived 10 minutes early (actually was there 15 minutes early but couldn't wait in the car any longer). The owner greeted me as I walked in and I saw four teachers, the owner, someone at a computer desk, and two or three students getting ready for their lesson. Lining the left wall was a various displays of still lifes' set up for the students to work on (an apple, an orange, a coffee cup with an apple and a lemon in front. Along the right side of the room was a line up of stations for people to work at. Some had books open to the page they were duplicating. All along the walls above either side were displays of student and teacher work.

I was there to observe how the classes work, to show my portfolio, and to ask any questions I had. The first thing we did was look at my portfolio. I finished pulling all my artwork out and picking pieces yesterday afternoon before I left. The reaction from the owner was positive. So then I was allowed to go around and watch how the class works with the teachers taking 2-3 kids and work with them as they draw.

The studio takes a beginner and walks them through step-by-step drawings really focusing on what shapes make up different objects. They work with pencil, charcoal, colored pastels/chalk, watercolor paints, and oil paints. They work through a series of doing the step-by-step drawings then on to single object still lifes' then they work on color theory and what primary and secondary colors are. Then they go back and do single still lifes' in color, and work into more than one object in the picture. From there they can continue into drawing, water color, and oil paint in the same way. They can take book images and attempt to copy the image. The teachers are there to guide by example and by helping the student look at the subject differently. So I watched a beginner drawing a cute little step-by-step bird and then take chalks and make it a colored picture. I watched two little artists one painting a shark and one painting a parrot with watercolors, I saw a little girl doing an oil painting of an apple, two girls working on some still lifes in charcoal, a teen working on drawing faces in pencil, and an adult student working on a pastel copy of a beautiful image from a book.

I was really impressed with the different levels of the students, the work that was produced, and the results of the teaching methods. I was also really inspired to work on some more pieces. I have been organizing at home so I can do some art soon. or Quilting, or crocheting.

Anyway, back to the details. The reason they are hiring is the owner is adopting a toddler and needs to step back a bit from the business. She said she hopes that the ratio of teacher to student was 1:5. So overall I think things went really well, I will know Monday if they choose me. It is part time but I get weekly training and flexibility of working mainly in the afternoon and having mornings to do things around the house.

Other than that I have been working hard on the apartment today because Jeremy's brother and his girlfriend are coming to stay the first week in March and there are many things to organize so they have a comfortable place to stay while here for the week. Deadlines help to get things in order!

Also I will be having my bottom right wisdom tooth out tomorrow at 2 pm. The doctor decided to try laughing gas on me for a better than Novicane but less expensive than general anesthesia and I will be able to drive myself home and relax after that. I hope it works so I can finally have a good experience at the dentist for once.

So that's the latest...back to work on the spare room.