Etiquette for Painting Workshop Instructors

Workshop in St Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada
Learn more about my plein air painting workshops at www.MChesleyJohnson.com/workshops/

Having laid out rules of etiquette for students, it's only fair that I give equal time to instructors. Instructors are also sometimes at fault for bad manners. Lack of manners is sometimes just a lack of awareness. With that in mind, here are some tips for those of you who teach. 

• Give students what they paid for, and then some. I've heard stories of teachers wandering off for a couple of hours to let students paint on their own, or of only painting a demonstration and then giving no further instruction for the day.  If the students are expecting this, fine. But do deliver what you advertise. It's a good idea before a workshop to review the workshop description so you know what your students expect. 
• Work with, not against, the workshop volunteers. They may have never worked with you before and may not know what to expect. Discuss with them before the workshop exactly what your needs are (tables, easels, lunches, plein air location list, etc.) but also what their expectations are.  Recognize them publicly for their efforts.
• Start promptly and finish promptly. If you're still waiting for a student to arrive before beginning the session, don't. Get started right on time. Also, students may have a life outside the workshop, so don't run late. If they traveled for the workshop, they may have come with family or friends who may be expecting them for dinner or a hike. 
• Don't drag students around all morning looking for the perfect painting spot. Do your homework by getting to the workshop a day early to preview locations. You don't want to be surprised on your first day to discover parking is limited, that there are no restrooms or that the location is too far to drive to. Preview all locations, and make sure you have a couple of alternates. 
• Give frequent breaks. You may be a marathon painter, but not everyone is. A short break every hour or so will refresh them so they can absorb more. You might use a break yourself. (I know I am guilty of this, and I invite students to stop me!)
• Respect where your students are coming from skill-wise. Don't forget that you, too, were once a raw beginner. Try to remember what it was like when you were struggling to learn. Teach with patience and understanding. Also, students have different backgrounds, so try to use this variety to enrich the experience for everyone. 
• Listen to your students. Give them time to ask questions. Treat every question, however basic, as one deserving serious attention. But watch out for the needy student; give equal time to everyone. If someone asks a question that is off-topic, offer to answer it during lunch or a break. Don't be afraid to suggest that the topic is better answered in a different workshop. 
• Don't paint on student paintings without permission. There's no faster way, of course, to show what you mean than by painting directly on top of a student's work. But some students prefer that you don't touch their paintings. Ask before grabbing a brush. 
• Be kind, but be also fair and honest. You aren't doing your students any favors by giving nothing but praise. If a painting can be improved in some way, say it. Some students do better with blunt criticism than others; proceed cautiously until you know how much they can take. 
• Finally, stay upbeat. You may be exhausted after having traveled two solid days to get to the workshop. You may be unhappy with the workshop facilities.  You may be in the middle of some life crisis. Whatever, keep it to yourself. Students don't need to be burdened with any of it. Save your grumpiness for your hotel room. 

And above all, be encouraging!  Not matter how a student may struggle, respect that student's efforts and encourage them where you can.

Etiquette for Painting Workshop Students

Teaching a workshop in Springfield, Illinois.  Every student was perfect!

Who hasn't been in a painting workshop where one student talks constantly without giving the others a chance to speak?

I think we've all been there.  I've been both student and instructor, and I've experienced workshops from each end.  In my view, students will have a more rewarding experience if they remember a few simple rules of etiquette.  And I'm not talking about just first-time students.  This goes for everyone, even workshop junkies, who should know better.

I will say that most of my workshops have had very well-behaved students, and it has been a pleasure to teach every one of you!  I've made some wonderful friends.  But for a very few, and especially for first-timers, I offer the following.  I know it's a lot of "don'ts," but in your mind, you can easily translate that to a lot of "dos."

• Be on time.  It's distracting to show up late and cause a commotion.
• Bring what's on the supply list.  If I am teaching a wet underpainting technique in pastel and ask you to bring a certain kind of paper, bring it.  If you don't, you won't be able to practice the technique.
• Respect the instructor.  Assume he knows more than you about the workshop topic.  If it turns out he doesn't, then disagree politely.  If the instructor argues with you and you know you're right, let it go.  It's only a workshop, and it'll all be over soon.
• Follow the curriculum.  You're there to learn from the instructor; going your own way is just treading over old ground.   Make an effort to at least try what the instructor is teaching; if it works for you, great, but if not, you can abandon it after the workshop.
• Follow the rules.  Instructors will often set ground rules for the workshop, such as what time the workshop begins, distance limits for a plein air workshop, and so on.  The rules were set to maximize your experience and to make for a successful workshop.
• Keep your questions relevant.  Especially during painting demonstrations!  Nothing throws the instructor off-track like questions from left field.  Questions such as "Where'd you study?" are out of place when he is showing you how to mix a neutral grey.  Save that question for a coffee break. Stay on-topic.
• Respect your fellow students.  Most workshops will have students coming from a variety of backgrounds and skill levels.  If you are more advanced, grit your teeth and bear it; you will still probably learn something.  If you are behind the others, don't be too needy; the others paid as much for attention as you did. 
• Here are some corollaries to this last rule.  Don't block the view of another student during a demo.  Don't grab space.  Sometimes workshops, especially studio ones, can be crowded, so respect the space of others.  Share!  Also, don't gab while others are trying to concentrate during the painting session.  Don't play with your electronic devices.  Turn them off or, if you must receive a call or text, set them to "vibrate".  Go outside the classroom if you need to check your email or stock prices.  And finally, if in the studio, don't ask to put on some music. No one can ever agree on a playlist.  If you must have music during the painting session, bring earbuds.  But make sure you don't mistakenly send an "I'm not available" signal to the instructor when he makes his rounds.
• Don't monopolize the critiques.  Everyone, like you, is paying paying for the instructor's feedback, not yours.  Ask questions that are relevant to the topic at hand.
• Don't critique other student's work during critique sessions unless the instructor has invited you to do so.  Conflicting or additional comments may confuse the student whose work is being critiqued.  (This happens a lot, because those offering critiques think they are being helpful; unfortunately, they aren't.)
• Ask before photographing or recording.  Most instructors are fine with this, but it's good to ask first.
• Respect break time for the instructor.  Teaching is very tiring, and we instructors prize our time to recharge.  If you have more questions that the class period permits, try to arrange a suitable time. 
• Don't ask for a critique on work you didn't do during the workshop, unless the instructor has asked you specifically to do that.  "I brought a dozen paintings I did this past year--can you take a look at them and tell me what you think?"  The instructor can't take class time out to do this, and chances are, cutting into the instructor's personal time outside of class...well, read the above tip about respecting break time.

I think these are all easy rules to follow.  Most times, bad manners are an accident, with the person at fault simply not paying attention.  Being aware of others is the best way to make sure everyone has a happy workshop experience.

Etiquette for Plein Air Painting Groups

How many painters can you find?

Overcrowding at National Parks?  Aren't some of them, well, vast?  Lately, there's been a lot of buzz about this topic.  Zion National Park recently made it into the headlines as considering the idea of requiring reservations for entry into the park.  (You can read an article on this here.)  The headlines had me wondering what part plein air painters, especially groups of them, play in this. As Boomers now catapult into retirement, many are picking up both paintbrush and backpack and heading into the field.  Eric Rhoads, editor of Plein Air Magazine, writes in a recent editorial:  "No one knows the numbers for sure...[but] I believe the movement could include a couple of hundred thousand people."

But it's not just National Parks.  It's any recreation area, whether it be lands administered by the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, state lands and city or town parks.  When I visit these areas, most times I'm either a hiker or a painter, and I'm usually alone or with just a few friends.  We always try to minimize our impact on the land and to be considerate of those around us or those who may follow us.  But sometimes I hear of large groups going out to paint.  I have to wonder if the organizer understands the impact such a group will almost certainly make.

With that in mind, I offer the following suggestions to organizers of plein air paint-outs, workshops and "flash" events:

1.  First, don't do it.  The best way to minimize impact is to not take out a large group in the first place.

2.  If you insist on organizing a large group, get permission.  Many recreation areas limit the number of participants in a hiking group to 10 or fewer, and this would apply to painters as well.  More than that, and you might need a permit.  To protect a sensitive natural or archaeological site, or to preserve a popular spot, permits are often limited to a certain number per year.  Getting a permit helps the recreation area manage resources.

3.  Make sure you have plenty of parking.  Some locations have small parking lots.  Filling up the lot (or standing in spaces to reserve spots for the group) is unfair to the visitors who are unlucky enough to come the day you decided to have your event.

4.  Make sure you have adequate toilet facilities.  If you plan to paint for three or four hours, you will almost certainly need them.  In remote areas of low visitation, it may be all right to go in the bushes, but in more popular spots, it's not only impolite but unsanitary.   Imagine a couple of hundred thousand painters over time using those same bushes.

5.  Stay off the trail.  But also, stay on the trail.  Does this sound contradictory?  Maybe, but you have to find a way to do both.  Don't block the trail to other recreationists.  And don't get so much off the trail that you trample the vegetation.  Out west, much of the vegetation is so slow-growing it can take decades for damage to disappear.

All this boils down to consideration—consideration for both the environment and your fellow humans.  Paint big—but act small.

(I've written other posts on etiquette for painters, which you can read here: http://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com/search/label/Etiquette)

Suggestions for Plein Air Painting Festival Organizers

At the Opening Reception for the 2014 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art

To go along with my post on Etiquette for Artists at Plein Air Painting Festivals, which was directed at the artists, I thought it only fair to offer suggestions to the organizers of these events, too.  This is a more difficult task, considering that every event is different with its own agenda and goals.  However, I have some general suggestions that might be helpful.  Some of you already do these things; but if you don't, please consider them.  Much of it boils down to giving buyers long and plentiful opportunities to purchase paintings for a successful event.

• First, if you haven't learned to delegate, learn.  This will avoid burn-out during the event.  Some organizers take on too much.
• Limit the number of participating artists.  More artists means more paintings for sale, which, in a limited market, means fewer sales per artist, and that means unhappy artists.   Thirty may be too many for even a national event; try going with no more than twenty-five.
• Don't wait to publicize your artists.  As soon as you have your roster, advertise it.  The earlier you can get their names out there, the better.
• Offer free housing for artists.  For many festivals, artists dig into their own pockets for travel expenses and meals.  Free housing, especially in tourist areas at high season when rates are up and availability, down, will be most welcome.  Also, the interaction between artists and hosts can lead to new collectors.
• Display artwork in your show space for the entire event, not just during the reception and sale.  This will lengthen the opportunity for sales.  Artists can bring artwork created earlier, and paintings made during the week can add to it or replace it.  This gives a changing and continuous display to create interest during the event.
• Schedule artist demonstrations during the event to promote it and to educate the public.  They are a great way to build awareness and interest in the event.
• Have an auction event.  You can really ratchet up prices this way and generate a sense of urgency.  Starting bids should be reasonable, however.  But don't try playing auctioneer yourself; get a professional.  Make sure he is prepared to read a short, written bio of the artist.  Don't let him do it from memory, unless you like the surprises a faulty memory can create.
• For the exhibit, evaluate the display floor carefully.  If there is any clearly inferior area,  don't display art there.   This will avoid limiting some poor artist's sales opportunity.  As much as possible, artists should have equal access, lighting and display space.  Beware of corners, structural posts that could become barriers, etc.

• Let artists hang their own work, but with rules and under supervision.  (You may want work hung only so high, or only so many pieces per artist.)  This will eliminate complaints from artists about how paintings are hung.  It will also make it easier on the volunteers, who are always very busy toward the end of the festival.
• Keep the buffet table and bar far away from the display area to give maximum access to artwork.  You don't want twenty people crowded around the bar, blocking an artist's work.
• Have plenty of sales people on the floor.  I don't like having to hunt down a sales person because my buyer might change his mind while I'm gone.  Nor do I like having to drag the buyer along with me on the hunt; I want to be available at my paintings for the next buyer.
• Announce awards at the beginning of the opening reception, not at the end.  This will give people a chance to see the winning paintings and to make purchase decisions early on. 
• Make sure you have purchase awards to guarantee sales.  I personally would prefer this to having a ribbon to hang next to the unsold painting in my studio.
• Finally, when it's all over, select and advertise dates for the next event immediately.  Build on the interest you've generated before it fades.

Etiquette for Artists at Plein Air Painting Festivals

2014 Sedona Plein Air Festival

I've participated in many plein air painting festivals over the years.  Now with the plein air painting season nearly upon us, I have some thoughts on these festivals and how artists should behave.  Some of the participants, especially some of the newer ones, might improve their manners.  Please don't think of me as a "Miss Manners," but manners have their place in the world.  Good manners make it a happier and better place for everyone.  And for plein air festivals, good manners may also help sales.  So, with that in mind, here are notes on etiquette for artists at plein air painting festivals.

• Be a team player.  Go to all the events on the schedule, especially if the attendance of artists is requested.   Sure, we want to spend the whole week painting, but it's important to show face and to support the organizers and other artists.  It may also help sales, since the folks attending the event may get to know you enough to want to buy your paintings.
• Respect your fellow artists.  If you think someone else's paintings could have been made by a third-grader, keep it to yourself.  They have probably worked just as hard as you to get into the festival, even if they can't paint.
• If you stay with hosts, be a good guest.  No impromptu parties,  no rudeness, no making life difficult for them.  If your guests invite you to dinner, go.  Yes, we all want to paint a lot, but take the time to know your hosts.   It's just courteous.  I've made some good friends this way.
• When you go out to paint, if another artist has set up where you'd planned to be, don't just automatically set up an arm's length away.  Ask the artist if it's okay to paint there.  Or, better yet, just go find a new spot.  You should have gotten there earlier.
• If you don't like the way things are being run, wait until after the event to grouse.  Complaining at the opening reception or sales event is especially rude and hurtful in many ways.  The organizers will, of course, appreciate a well-thought critique after the event.
• Dress appropriately for the event.  Wear your painting rags in the field, but don't wear them to the opening reception.   Ask the organizers what the guests will be wearing at the reception if you don't know.  Dressing like a professional shows that you're, well, a professional.
• At the reception, don't grab a plate from the buffet and stand (or worse, sit) in front of someone else's paintings.   Have the courtesy at least to go munch in front of your own paintings.  This actually happened to me.  An artist pulled up a chair and sat down to eat in front of my display, preventing people from seeing my work and me from talking to them about it.  (Yes, the artist did move when I asked.)
• Don't complain about the lack of sales during the sales event.  And if you are selling well, don't boast.  Complaining looks bad and changes the mood of what should be a very positive event.  Boasting has a similar effect.  Put on your best salesman mask.
• Don't complain if you didn't get an award.  If you've got any experience with painting competitions, you will understand that awards are highly subjective.  I've seen terrible paintings win awards.  I've also seen great paintings that deserved awards get nothing.  Just keep smiling, and congratulate the winners.
• Finally, be courteous and helpful in every way.  Our society has gotten increasingly rude, and it's so refreshing to find politeness anywhere you go.

Etiquette for Plein Air Painters

Point Lobos - Allan Memorial Grove

With the world predicted to add two billion more people between now and 2050, our precious resources will get even more precious.  One of these resources is recreational space - parks, reserves and forests.  Unfortunately, there are two conflicting uses of recreational space.  How do you preserve a park's natural beauty and the peaceful solitude that must necessarily accompany it, and yet give the public access to it?  This question will get harder to answer in a satisfactory way as the years go by.

We plein air painters are, unfortunately, not removed from this conflict.  We want our unspoiled, quiet spaces to do our work in, but we also want access to these spots - and so do a lot of other people.  Photographers and hikers have as much right to them as we do.

I bring this up because of an incident at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.  It is a gorgeous spot, but management has curtailed access to much of it by roping off anything that's not on a trail.  They have good reasons - it cuts down on erosion and keeps hikers from wandering into poison oak.

We were hiking one of these trails when it dead-ended in a perfect "photo op" spot.  Two plein air painters had discovered the spot and had set up in such a way that it was impossible for anyone else to get to the view.  Since their location made it impossible to take a picture of the scene, I took a picture of them.

I blurred the photo to protect their identity, but you can see how the space is confined.  To the right of them is one rope, and just out of the frame to the left is another.   They had set up so they occupied the width of the trail and the last ten feet of it.  Now, if I were on a plein air adventure and had come across this spot, I would have thought, "Hm, enough space for one of us, but not for both of us."  I'd have moved on.  Also, judging from the traffic, this seemed a particularly popular spot, and I would have looked for one less popular.  Who wants to deal with people trying to edge in to get the view?

I like to teach my students plein air painter etiquette.  Here's what I tell them:

• Never block the trail
• Never block a viewpoint but set up to one side
• Keep your gear compact and out of the way of others
• Be respectful of other people's right to share the beauty

Once, when my students and I ended up painting at the oldest church in New Mexico's Hondo Valley, I had to chastise a student who had actually set up her gear on a flat tombstone.  The stone made a great surface to stand on, but I told her I doubted the locals would take kindly to it.

But getting back to the present, we had a great day touring Carmel for old homes and spending time with the Monterey cypresses at Point Lobos.  Tomorrow's adventure:  Monterey.

Just as a reminder, my studio painting sale continues.  I'm posting sketches and demos daily.  If you would, please check it out at my studio store - http://johnsonstudiostore.blogspot.com/