Art Lessons: Private art instruction and critique sessions

Please email for more information or to discuss your particular artistic needs. Critique Sessions and Instructional lessons are priced per hour. Lessons for anyone under the age of 18, requires that a parent or other adult stay with the student during lesson. Rates are based on instruction in my studio, additional charges for instruction at your location.

You may contact me at  480-206-5895, or by email at Ron Floyd.  I also will do group workshops. Workshop rates are quoted on a per workshop basis. My art teaching philosophy is described  below.

My Philosophy .... everyone can learn to draw or paint

I teach the basics and believe in the foundation lessons of art.

I believe everyone can learn to draw, paint, or do sculpture. These skills are no different than skills needed to ride a bicycle or play basketball. The pencils, paint brushes, and sculpting items are tools, not unlike a baseball bat, or a yard rake. When we understand the concepts of how to use the tools, we can then begin to  use them to satisfy our needs, to create from our imagination. I also believe that   each person goes through life seeing, but not really seeing. One of the most  important aspects of creating art is learning to see correctly. I use the phrase     “Draw what you see, not what you think you see”, with my students. I also        believe in allowing a student to move in the direction of their desires. If a student wishes to learn how to draw Dogs, then I incorporate my lessons around Dogs.     The same principles apply to all objects: Texture, Lighting, Shadows, Blending,    Line Work, etc. The basics need to be learned but they can be applied to a    student’s interest and professional goals.

Teaching art is a little like teaching a child to read? Once the skill is acquired, a lifetime of joy can be associated with that skill. But in calling “art” a skill, does      that undermine the mystic association with the ability to create wondrous visions  from ones imagination?  I have found that fear runs through many of my university art classes. The fear of failure, the fear of drawing like a child, the fear of ridicule in critiques, and the barrier build up by years of being told by our society that artist are unique and gifted individuals. Students often say to me “I can’t draw”, or “I am no good at drawing”. I know better!