Giving a Demonstration
I’ve started doing something in my online classes that can sometimes be a bit stressful. And while the temptation to abandon this part of the teaching can be strong at times, I persist with it.
So what’s causing the stress? Well, I’ve been making a mosaic in class. Ok, I know that sounds kind of obvious for a mosaic class, but I’m not just doing small demonstrations, I am making a mosaic from start to finish. I am letting people see the full, unedited process, from creating the design to putting the mosaic together.
Now I know on the surface that doesn’t sound too bad, but I deliberately do not plan this part of the class in advance. Because that kind of removes the point of doing it in the first place. The point is to let students see how to put the teaching into practice, and that includes all the decision making processes that happen as part of that.
These days it is not uncommon to see videos of artists sharing some behind the scenes views of how they make their work. But these are usually edited versions, summaries of what’s happening, designed to catch attention and to entertain. They don’t tend to show what it’s really like to design and make a mosaic.
But that is what I want students to get a feel for. The way that you can generate a few different ideas before selecting a design that works best. The way you can pull out a variety of materials to use and end up only using a few of them. The way that things change once you start making the mosaic. And the way that you can carefully cut and set lots of pieces in place, only to pull them all out again because they don’t look right.
These things are important to understand because the process of making a mosaic isn’t always straightforward. The times when you aren’t happy with something or have to remove sections can be quite disheartening. So knowing that it’s not just you and there is a way to move forward can be helpful.
We always want to put our best side on display to others. So making a mosaic live in front of a group of students can make me feel a bit vulnerable. Because the chances are that there will be sections I don’t like or change my mind about. There will be times I think something might work and then it doesn’t. I In reality though, that’s the process I go through when I make my own art and I think it’s important to share that.
So, despite the fact it can be a bit of a challenge, I will continue to do this kind of demonstration in class. I will talk through what I am thinking as I am working - whether that’s creating a design or working on the mosaic. I will let students see the stuff I don’t normally share on social media. I will make mistakes in front of them and then figure out how to resolve them.
My hope is that this gives them a realistic view of what making a mosaic is like. So that they know that things can evolve and change. So that when things go wrong or they are not happy with their work, they know that it is part of the process, and that they have the skills to reflect on what is not right and how they might fix it.
But one of the main reasons I continue to do these demonstrations as part of my teaching is the feedback I get from students. Receiving comments like the ones below reassure me that this type of teaching is helpful.
“It was very reassuring to hear your thought processes as you worked out what to put where - the creative process - most artists don't share that, making the rest of us feel that there is a master plan already sorted! “
“I especially appreciated Rachel’s willingness to share her thought processes and decision-making as she works, including how she wrestles with if, when and how to address her ‘mistakes’.”
“What I particularly loved about this class was being able to watch Rachel work on a piece from start to finish and see how she makes all the micro-decisions that go into creating a mosaic.”
So if you fancy watching me work in real time and hearing what’s going on in my head, keep an eye out for upcoming classes. In the meantime you can watch the selected highlights on social media!
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