Instructors who paint on your paintings?

Eliz · #1 05-28-2004, 08:34 PM

Is this common? How do you feel about this?

I took a watercolor class at a local art center this winter. It was a pretty good class, but the teacher would come around and paint on each students work. It was an effective way to demonstrate how to improve a painting, and it always did make the painting stronger, or the composition better...

If it was just an exercise I had done that night in class, it was really helpful. But when it was a painting I had been working on all week, I couldn't stand it. It felt like the painting wasn't mine anymore. I couldn't show it to anyone without explaining, "but that bit there was done by my instructor". By the end of the course I was deliberately forgetting to bring my work to class, or pretending it had turned out so bad I had trashed it. I would have loved to have the teacher's verbal critique, but I just couldn't handle the painting. Was it just me? Do I have to get used to this if I want to take any more classes or workshops?

Liz

**pampe** · #2 05-28-2004, 08:36 PM

Absolutely Not Ok!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ottersong · #3 05-28-2004, 08:49 PM

ewwwwww, if you find that you have a teacher that does not ask if it is OK, please speak up loudly. She may not realize she is being offensive. As a teacher I always ask first. Some students want me to do it and some do not. To begin with I wouldn't even dream of putting a brush to a regular painting even if the student wanted me to. An exercise is another story, sometimes the student will want the corrected exercise for reference later on. Please don't be shy about telling the teacher no, she needs to know. I love beginners they are so enthusiastic, I would hate to cause one to quit because of something like this.

Marymc

stephie20 · #4 05-28-2004, 08:57 PM

I have only been to one persons workshop...Frankie Cummins.......She always made a point of asking prople if they wanted her to show them on the painting , or by explaining it to them, for that very reason.

NodakerDeb · #5 05-28-2004, 09:03 PM

ISH-DA!!!

I have never been to a workshop,

but,

if someone painted on MY painting I'm afraid I'd have to shove their paint brush where ... er.... never mind......

I, have, however, taken several art classes at our University, and I've never had an instructor who would even think of such a thing! I've had a lot of "um's, "Oh, I see's", and "maybe if you's"...) LOL!!! but... they've not taken a brush to my work.

You have every right to be piqued!

Deb

yahooserious · #6 05-28-2004, 09:39 PM

I absolutely cannot STAND for an instructor to paint on my painting. I did not return to a class after a lunch break for that very reason. The instructor didn't even ask, just picked up a brush and started painting. If it ever happens again I will, in a nice way, tell her/him to not touch my painting.

Emilie

yogi · #7 05-28-2004, 10:13 PM

Ack! No, that isn't an okay thing.

The art teachers I've respected the most always ask first or don't even offer (choosing to verbally explain or show on his/her own canvas 100% of the time).

Had an acrylic painting teacher in college who picked up a brush and started painting "realism" on an illustrative, surreal painting I'd been working on at home for a week because he thought I should be doing "realistic" work. I quickly said, "No, that is SUPPOSED to be that way because that is the POINT of the painting. It is part of the philosophy behind it." He gave me a disgusted look and walked away. I couldn't wait to get out of his class after that.

Went to a sculpting class where the instructor picked up my work and started carving on it, too...again, without asking. The sculpture was rough at the moment. When she came along, I explained to her what I was about to do on it. So, she picked it up and started doing it herself. A friend told me later that the teacher has an attitude and likely felt threatened because I was another serious sculptor in the same area (competition).

So, yes, like you've been advised here, speak up so that perhaps the teacher will know not to do that to any future students.

laudesan · #8 05-28-2004, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pampe

Absolutely Not Ok!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Totally AGREE !!!!!!!!!!!

wayfarer · #9 05-29-2004, 12:06 AM

I had an instructor do that. I was appalled. I didn't even want the painting afterwards. I actually used it for scrap. I was so insulted. I posted about it after the "workshop." Not to slander the artist, I didn't publish the name. The whole experience was so demeaning. I've never been to a workshop since. Absolutely wrong of an "instructor" to do that. I still get solicitations from the creep to attend more sessions.

Chris

artmom · #10 05-29-2004, 12:21 AM

My one and only instructor would always ask if we wanted her to show us on the painting on or something else. Only once did I ask her to show me on the painting, and I regretted it immediately--because it was no longer mine! Not her fault, though.

Lyn

Marquisina · #11 05-29-2004, 12:32 AM

The only time I had that happen was in high school, and I didn't like it then!
Did you say something? Sometimes, I think, people tend to treat others like children and just take over what they're doing ( not right, IMHO). I'm not excusing this person at all, just thinking maybe you needed to say" hold everything..this is MINE not yours! If you want to show me, show me on another paper, I'll get the idea" I think you'd be totally within your rights to say this, after all you're paying for this lesson!
Don't let this incident sour you on taking workshops/courses! As you can tell by most of the replies, it doesn't always happen.

Marqui

Ruth Grinstead · #12 05-29-2004, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pampe

Absolutely Not Ok!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would not like it at all and would have to say something or stop attending. I would have had some spare paper and asked to be shown on that.

Ruth

Eliz · #13 05-29-2004, 03:03 AM

I’m glad it’s not just me. One time the teacher did ask if I’d rather be shown, or make the changes myself and I said I’d like to try do it myself, but about half way through the explanation, the teacher grabbed a brush and started painting anyways. That’s when I started “forgetting” my work at home every week! Everyone else in the class seemed so enthusiastic about it that I felt weird about making a big scene, but I am definitely not taking anymore classes from that instructor! It was kind of a shame, because I think I cold have learned a lot about improving my compositions, which I missed by never showing my finished projects to the instructor, but it just hurt too much!

Liz

ElfeUra · #14 05-29-2004, 04:31 AM

Hi,
I had a workshop (pencil) only for one weekend, as my spare time wouldnt allowe to take a longer one. I was VERY excited, what I will learn.
But then, the teacher only walked around - telling NOTHING. I wanted him to say where I could improve my painting, but he only stared at it, telling me, that it is nice and walked away. This was so frustrating.
Next and last day, he went to some students (also to me), took their pencil and corrected a little without saying ONE WORD. So, I didnt even know, WHY he did it.
This was the time I decided, never to attend a workshop again.

Or I get some information before, how this teacher is teaching!
Ria

Gilberte · #15 05-29-2004, 04:33 AM

I've done many workshops and some teachers asked us to bring paintings we weren't satisfied with. She or he then corrected them, added lights or shadows, made changes to the composition and that really helped a lot.
Usually, in other workshops the teacher asks permission and if you didn't like them touching your work you could say so. Mostly the students appreciated it a lot and they also learned from it. One condition : one was asked NOT to sell the painting.

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