Edmonston Studios

I recently retired from 16 years of teaching visual fine arts in a school. I have taught visual arts and technology for many years to students ranging from PK to 8th grade. In addition to teaching art, I also am a scale miniature artist, illustrator, and painter. I have a passion for education, brain games, board games, puzzles and all things seasonal.

My teaching style was a very creative "choice" based approach to visual arts. I preferred experiential style learning that allowed students the ability to dive deep into the subject matter to explore it to its fullest. For example I created a mock cave for students climb in and draw on the wall during our paleolithic period studies. I also created a mock Sistine Chapel that students experience painting upside down as Michaelangelo did during the renaissance period. A choice based environment removes the creativity crusher and stress employed by standardizing artistic expression and copying of works. In a choice environment educational technique and understanding goals can be met while allowing personal individual creativity to explode. This creates individual ownership and interest in each piece being developed and avoids the step by step process by which all student work looks identical. A sample of this may be a historical dive into ancient culture and learning about the terra cotta warriors. Upon learning about such an amazing piece of history, a traditional art environment may include creating a sculpture of the terra cotta warriors. A "choice based" environment would pose the question: If you had 8,000 copies of a figure that was buried to protect you in your afterlife, what would that figure be or look like? Therefore allowing students creativity to run wild and the sculptures would exude complete connection, individuality and ownership. A choice based environment aids in building confidence in all art students regardless of ability.

BFA Visual Communications