So You Want To Teach ... Where Do You Start?

"A Day at the Beach"
Oil, 11" x 14"
Click here to purchase.

​So you decide you want to teach, where do you start?

• Do your homework. Analyze your own personal workshop experiences. What did you like? What didn’t you like? How can you structure your workshop to overcome some of these issues?
• Plan ahead. Outline your workshop listing what you want to accomplish day to day. Plan out everything.
• Practice – invite some art friends over and host a free workshop for them. Get their input and honest feedback.
• Get organized – as you are going through this experience start making check lists so you don’t have to re-invent the wheel for every workshop.
• Understand the business side of teaching:
  • Location – where will it be held (in your studio, at a gallery or art center/school, plein air (weather backup), does it have everything you need (parking, light, A/C, bathrooms, running water, trash disposal))
  • Cost – how much do you charge? You must be competetivly priced but also make it worth your time. What if only three people sign up? Will you still teach? What are you providing for the cost? Do you have paypal, ability to accept credit cards? Personal checks?
  • Supplies lists – do your homework and understand what other artists have on their supply lists. Don’t forget things like boxes/wet panel carriers to travel home with wet paintings, paper towels, etc.  What supplies do you need (water, coffee, trash bags, music, tape, photos to paint from, etc.)
  • Cancellation policy – what happens if and when someone cancels? What happens if you cancel? A policy is a must. Yo are running a business so you have to make sure your attendees understand that canceling at the last minute affects you so you need a clear and well publicized cancellation policy. 

​I will have a few more tips tomorrow ...