I like dealing with students. Talking with kids (and since I'm an old fart, "kids" includes college students) always gives me a charge. There are always some in the group that ask really good questions, and I like to get them to speak their minds. I've learned a lot that way and hope I've given back as well.
So when a friend of mine, who's a high school teacher here, asked if I would be a mentor to one of her art students, of course I said yes. Well, one student turned into two, which was even better. These kids are high school seniors and need mentors for their senior projects. We've been meeting once a week in my studio to talk about art, their projects, and what they want to do. These discussions are a lot of fun and it's been great to see them grow in such a short time.
One of the things they had to do for their projects was to interview somebody working in their project's field. So I tasked them with coming up with ten questions each. I thought this would be a breeze. I didn't expect something so deep. Many of their questions would require a book to answer. Here are some of the questions they came up with.
- What inspired you to become an artist?
- How did you get where you are today?
- What is the main challenge you face when beginning a painting?
- At what point in the process of the painting do you begin to feel like the painting is almost completed?
- How has painting influenced your life?
- What qualities do you look for in people you work with or other artists?
- How do you manage balancing work/life?
- What do you like most about your career?
Some of my answers were a bit long, as you might imagine. How would you answer some of these questions?
So when a friend of mine, who's a high school teacher here, asked if I would be a mentor to one of her art students, of course I said yes. Well, one student turned into two, which was even better. These kids are high school seniors and need mentors for their senior projects. We've been meeting once a week in my studio to talk about art, their projects, and what they want to do. These discussions are a lot of fun and it's been great to see them grow in such a short time.
One of the things they had to do for their projects was to interview somebody working in their project's field. So I tasked them with coming up with ten questions each. I thought this would be a breeze. I didn't expect something so deep. Many of their questions would require a book to answer. Here are some of the questions they came up with.
- What inspired you to become an artist?
- How did you get where you are today?
- What is the main challenge you face when beginning a painting?
- At what point in the process of the painting do you begin to feel like the painting is almost completed?
- How has painting influenced your life?
- What qualities do you look for in people you work with or other artists?
- How do you manage balancing work/life?
- What do you like most about your career?
Some of my answers were a bit long, as you might imagine. How would you answer some of these questions?
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