Continuing your education? Yes please

A couple of years ago, my mentor told me that Lorenzo Chavez was coming to her community art center, and I needed to take his workshop.  I gulped at the price and ponied up money for a weekend.  I learned so much from him!  He reminded me of things that I had learned 30 years ago and hadn't been using.  Composition exercises, techniques, and there were a few new things for me to put to use too. I think it made me a better artist.  Here I go now, doing another with her.  Mike Beeman is going to be there, and she said he was not going to do them anymore.  I needed to go.

It's travel, time away from home, and expense so why?  Nothing you learn ever goes to waste.  Someone always knows how to something you don't, and you can grow as an artist and as a person.  Years ago, my uncle would audit classes at San Francisco University.  He was a full college professor and he kept taking classes even after he retired.  It kept him young; he told me.  He interacted with young people and kept his brain flexible.  When he retired, he had the opportunity to study subjects that he had never been able to explore.  The thing is, he was a valuable asset in the class as well.  Young people think that they only need to study for a few years and then leave learning behind.  There is a trick to learning and watching an old hand at it would help them consider what they really wanted their future to be.

The other side of this coin, you get to interact with other people who share a common interest. It helps you absorb the information better and creates a dynamic learning environment.  You end up more receptive to the information because each of you bring a different perspective to the subject.  Watching videos of artists paint is helpful but when scientists study something, they would rather have the full specimen in front of them to see all angles.  When you take a class in person with others, it is like being able to study every angle and plane.  A three-dimensional study vs a two dimensional one.  In this case though, I think it is several more than 3 dimensions. 

The moral here is, pony up.  You never know when the opportunity will come again.  Something to consider, as a professional, the cost of the class and the expenses you incur are all tax deductible.  Another dimension on the gains you get.  As an artist, that can apply to a lot of different subjects as well.  If you want to take a literature class, use it to create a series of pieces for your body of work.  Biology can be about the structure of your subjects and chemistry can be about your pigments and how they react to the surface and the effect of longevity with your art.  Stretch your brain and consider the possibilities.  I've got to go pack.  See you in the classroom!