Art Class Remembered

Looking back over my art career, some of the best times were spent in the classroom. Over the years my students have ranged in age from 9 years old in my Junior Class to over 80 years old in my Adult Class. My young students came once a week throughout the school year and it was a joy to watch them grow from children to teenagers to young adults.

Originally my painting classes were held at my gallery in Belfast, Maine, but as the gallery grew and we needed more space, I gave up my classroom and moved classes to my home studio.

  

      

            

       

My Adult Class has seen many students come and go but I had my main students that were with me for many years. They were my dedicated “crew”. We met weekly and worked very hard to incorporate the principles and theories of oil painting into our work. They were a very special group and our sessions were filled with laughter, long sighs and music.

One of our very special students was Genie Francis, from the TV Series, General Hospital. She had a summer home in Belfast and it was our good fortune to have her join our classes for a few summers.

        

    

 We also had many outdoor adventures, some quite memorable.

It was my greatest pleasure to see my students enter shows and win awards. Seeing the smiles on their faces when they brought their ribbons and awards to class was priceless. We all celebrated together because we understood the hard work and commitment that led to this proud achievement.

  

When I was teaching at the gallery, summer visitors would often stop in and ask for a few lessons. They had just bought their first paint set and wanted to learn to paint. They were the most difficult students, as they didn’t understand that it takes many years to grasp the principles of painting and more years of hard work to put these principles into play. I knew they would leave frustrated but hopefully these first few classes would peak their interest and they could go on from there. They also left with a greater appreciation of the art we displayed at the gallery.

  

I taught for over 15 years and have now retired. I sometimes think of teaching again, but life has a way of moving on. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for my students. We were a family and together we shared joys and sorrows, triumphs and failures. We still keep in touch and paint together and their voices still echo in my studio.

Thanks for visiting,

Celene

 www.CeleneFarris.com

www.TheWorkingArtGallery.com.