First conversation is complimentary!
Art Coaching: What It Is and What to Expect
Guidance for your art endeavors
Helping you relearn how to see
Have you ever witnessed the amazement of children when they first see the world? Over time we tend to lose our connection to seeing the magic of our existence. In our coaching sessions, you will learn how to reconnect with seeing things anew and bring back awe to your experiences. My approach is to turn your gaze inward, to focus on the internal process of seeing, which then affects how you will perceive external reality. We will work with exercises to enhance your perception, such as paying attention to peripheral vision, spectrums and contrasts of light and shadow, and seeing with the whole body.
Individualized attention with a focus on healing and growth
Working one on one is the most effective way to collaborate. I take a supportive approach, helping you to reconnect with your inner child, working through any rough spots. I do so by listening to what you have to say and responding with personal feedback, hearing your questions and answering them in ways that make sense to you. One value of this process of connecting with our creative spirit and sense of spaciousness is to relieve stress and anxiety while letting go of our inner critic. Moving from a place of “I can’t” to “I can” by dissolving the boundaries of this critic and its concepts of ourselves.
Exploring the gestalt as well as the practical
We will be practicing inward focus while learning the fundamentals of painting. We’ll engage in visual exercises, such as reflecting on what is seeing: what is a color, what is a shape, what is space? And we will relearn basic skills, such as how to hold pencils and brushes, how to make lights and darks, and how to use tools from a place of spaciousness and awareness. A major part of the curriculum is to engage with key texts, such as Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, while practicing basic exercises, such as how to mix paint and apply it to the canvas.
Appreciating the benefits of art
We will cultivate the appreciation of these art practices, which will help us to discover the benefits of art in our daily lives. These gratitude practices can bring us into the present moment and enrich our lives by reawakening our visual perception and sense of aliveness.
About Your Coach
A little background on experience and approach
Teaching experience
Seamus Berkeley has more than 30 years of experience teaching how to see, draw and paint to people in high schools, colleges, workshops, corporate settings and private sessions. In addition to teaching at his studios in Taos, New Mexico and Berkeley, California, he has taught internationally in Canada, China, and Ireland.
The focus of his teaching is always on the fundamentals of art: how to become more aware of what we are seeing and translate those scenes onto a two-dimensional surface. Concentrating on the fundamentals allows students to choose subjects of most interest to them, whether that is landscape, still life or portrait.
Focus and Style
In the role of painting, Seamus centers his attention on the process of what we are actually seeing while bringing to mind that our perceptions are happening within, even though the objects are external. Keeping this in mind is what brings real meaning to the phrase “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. Just as in a meditation practice where the guidance is to let go of thoughts, this same action applies in letting go of ‘named’ objects and allowing the visual field to simply enter into our awareness and concentrate on that inner experience. This method allows us to see the gestalt and see the world anew.
In the role of teacher, Seamus listens to student questions and concerns, then responds with suggestions of how to proceed. He understands that for many students, the process of drawing or creating artwork carries deeply buried negative experiences from their youth when they were criticized for being wrong or not being able to draw, or they were not given the correct information on how to achieve what they wanted. He offers guidance on how to let go of these limiting memories.
Influences, Awards and Publications
Seamus has studied with and been influenced by many artists, both living and dead, including Charles Cross, Nancy Guzik, Quang Ho, David Leffel, Richard Schmid, Ron Sherr, and Teresa Vito, as well as earlier masters such as Cecilia Beaux, Mary Cassatt, Rembrandt van Rijn, John Singer Sargent, and John William Waterhouse. He considers Betty Edwards to be the best instructor for learning how to see and draw.
Over the past several decades, Seamus has won awards, including Best Portrait at the Oil Painters of America show. He has received many accolades for his teaching skills from many former students both in the classroom and private sessions.
He is the founder and past-president of the Taos Society of Portrait Artists and a member of the Oil Painters of America.
Berkeley’s work has been featured in such publications as Southwest Art, Information Warehouse, The Taos News, Art-Talk and The Trail-Gazette.
Kudos
Appreciation from prior students
Testimonials
“I was just thinking about you and how I’ve benefitted from your instruction last summer—light, shading, reflection has really stuck with me!”
~ Joyce from San Antonio
“The best instructor ever—he listens!”
~ Chooch, a University of New Mexico student
“I really enjoyed your teaching style. You have a gift. Thank you so much for sharing.”
~ Marcia, workshop attendee
“Factual problem solving approach. The fact that I had never mixed oil paints before didn’t trouble Seamus, he just taught me how to do it.”
~ Robert, portrait workshop attendee
“Seamus has incredible ability to teach. He explains it, demonstrates it and, if need be, will help you with a difficult part of your paintings.”
~ Mary, workshop attendee at the Taos Institute of Arts