Sunday, April 5, 2015

Collaborating

Rosa St. Patrick
by Dolores Pope
I really enjoy collaborating with other artists and try to learn any and everything from them. I have an artistic mentor who taught me how to express myself through watercoloring. She originally taught me the craft a few years ago and we’ve been connected ever since. Since then, we collaborated a few time for “Art days” as we called them; an afternoon dedicated to learning, exploring, and playing. We would warm up by doing continuous drawings, which is extremely challenging for your mind to look ahead at the lines while also focusing on the lines being drawn at the moment. She helped build my palette by encouraging me to select my preferred colors, even when I was intimidated by the commitment that meant. My hope is that I can support her artistic expression as she’s helped support mine. I began a large project; writing and illustrating a children’s book for my son. She provided strategies for me to help draw the same main character multiple times because I was scared to duplicate the character poorly. She never uses phrases like, “You have to…” or “Do it this way…” The most beautiful part of all this is, she is a natural born teacher. Her teaching style was never derived from a credential program or developed through experience. She exemplifies pure natural teaching. My Aunt Dolores has truly made a significant impact to a positive learning process. I feel extremely blessed to be connected to her through family and now artistically.

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