In 1966, after 28 years teaching art in secondary schools in the borough, I decided to shake off the powder paint and seek new horizons. But how to fill the void thus created? I still had my enthusiasm for my subject and a desire to impart what I knew to others. I had also taught for the adult education service in the past. Now that is what I called teaching! Every student was with you because they wanted to be there and what’s more paid good money for the privilege! Evening class work had meant I was spared the teenage classroom comments, such as “I don’t want to do this. ”You don’t know what you’re talking about.“ ”Sir, I’m telling you there are two colours you can mix to get a primary red.”
Fate has a way of closing one door then opening another, and so it was that fetched up one day at the entrance of “Art for All”, premier art material shop in our fair town. The proprietor showed me the teaching atelier at the top of a winding staircase. Intimate would best describe its dimensions, but it suited me after years of capacious classrooms and the problems of voice projection. Small groups of participants were my first experience but gradually my numbers grew. I’m proud to say some of those early pioneers have persevered with me to this very day.
All of my students, more or less, come as beginners. Their lack of artistic activity might have been due to daily demands of life, or because economic pressures getting a job immediately took precedence over art college. However, with careers established or completed and family grown, new opportunities open up. Indeed, even some working folk find the challenge of creativity a soothing antidote to the pressures of business.
What all my students expect is individual attention and hands-on help. I regularly hear of past experiences with some teachers who have contributed little except a few hasty words of praise or criticism at the end of a session. The disheartened student soon gives up. Practical theory is vital, I believe; a solid base upon which I teach. However, theory, in my opinion, does not mean endless dabs of paint in neat rows and textural squiggles. I like to combine theory with practical application. I encourage the student to take on a pictorial challenge right from the start. Something they don’t think they can manage, but with mutual co-operation success can be acheived. Thus the student’s confidence grows.
The ultimate thrill for the student is seeing their work framed and displayed. This can mean so much. How often do you hear, ”I can’t show my work, I’m not a professional”? Joining the Bromley Art Society is a great boost and I actively encourage it.
I am now in my eighth year of teaching in a new spacious suite of rooms. Time has flown by. I can honestly say that the hours I spend in the company of my charges are the highlight of my week. Never boring, always a challenge, but what satisfaction.
My students, here’s to you!
Ken Murray
Teaching art at Art for All, Bromley