Teaching pupils painting and Mosaics

I enjoy teaching people how to be creative.
 I also enjoy reading books about world travel and adventuring and I write articles for newspapers, my blog and magazines about it. 

 I have some great clients and the things they do to be great clients are listed here.
1.They enjoy the process of creating without worrying and stressing about the end result. 
2.They are open to new ideas.
3. They have a sense of fun and adventure with regard to their art. 
4.They are happy with the peace and tranquility they get from switching over to the right brain for a while. 

Mosaics are wonderful things to help teach people to get into this mode.

Here is my longest  client Kyle Burling doing his goldfish painting on stretched canvas.
I've had him since he was eight years old.
He is now twenty and doing a tertiary level Diploma in Visual Arts at the Waiariki Institute of Technology.

Kyle tackles all sorts of paintings and methodically works towards his goals.
He is positive about his results.

Finn is eight about the same age that I started teaching Kyle.
 He's a lovely, focused and sensitive person with a great ability to draw quite accurately and at times humourously. 
 He is very imaginative and tells me some brilliant stories about hauling in sharks and hunting wild pigs, which I have told him he could write down and illustrate.
You are never too young to start writing and publishing your own books.
He is full of confidence in his own ideas and write a very inventive set of ghost jokes in his visual diary.

This is Kyra's first painting with me.
She does work  that I  would describe as Edgy Cute.
 She has her own style and is good at drawing fantasy figures out of her head. She has very clear ideas of how she wishes to express herself. 
 Part of my  role as I see it,  is to empower her on her journey.

Kyra's third painting with me.
 My approach to teaching is to work with each pupils strengths.
We are not always trying to paint beautiful, safe paintings, we are trying to be open and affirming towards the universe and all it has to offer.

I have a lot of imagery available of other artists in books and my work and we negotiate what the pupil wpuld like to do. 
It's really not about me imposing my will onto my clients. 

 Ryan and Cecily  are painting a set of acrylic painting, focusing on animals for their parent's motel.
They are also doing mosaics and Cecily loves doing pretty pictures about Barbie. 

They are very enthusiastic and think I am a kind teacher.

Hanxi and Hanwei are very focused and into achieving well. 
 These three little painting exercises were hearts on mini stretched canvases that they did to celebrate mothers day.

The hearts were cut out of scrapbooking paper that you can buy from places like Spotlight.
 Resene paint was used as a base.
 After this embellishments are put on with glue.
When it's dry you spray clear laquer over the top.

Yuhko has been coming for a number of years and she is really into doing realistic flower and landscape paintings.
 She is a good focused worker and has a natural aptitude with drawing. 

With this client I am working through a book called How to Paint What  you See.
It was the very first book I worked my way through when I started painting in 1986
The lessons are still relevant today.
I lent her the book so she can do homework exercises.
This will help her with accelerated learning.

Valerie owns Cafe De Paris in Hinemoa Street, Rotorua. 

It has free wi-fi and is a favourite with locals and visitors. 

She has lovely cafe food with a French twist and has decorated the walls beautifully with art posters. Who knows, some mosaics may appear on her  Cafe walls.

 She is taking some time out on Monday mornings to be creative.

She is naturally good with her hands and artistic and puts colours together well. 

I love teaching people from other countries and it is my ambition to travel to France. 

 

 This pupil has set up her own work space at home and is all set to do some of her own projects.

It's great when pupils get enough confidence up to do their own thing.

Look at this lovely result.

Beginners mosaic class. Fish or bird, mirror or mini picture and pot.

$250.00 for four sessons of two hours.

Materials included.

Or $62.50 per time.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings 9.30am to 11.30am

Ring 346-3435 or  email     jkeen@clear.net.nz

Look at these gorgeous results from first time mosaic making pupil  Ann Sullivan.

Quote from Ann Sullivan about the course.

 I have never had much interest in creative activities such
as painting or embroidery or tapestry or ...  . However I
read an article by Janet on mosaic-ing and it sounded most interesting - like doing jigsaw puzzles which I love. It didn't sound too hard and i thought even i could do it. so I read about Janet's 4-week mosaic course on her website and decided to give it a go. I thought at first i might feel awkward as creativity is so not my thing,  but Janet is down-to-earth, and was so welcoming, friendly, helpful, and encouraging Ii felt comfortable from the start. I have just finished the course and it has been really great, the best thing I've done for a long time. I got to choose, cut out and stick pieces of pretty, brightly coloured glass, beads, and pottery to some plywood bird and butterfly shapes, and to a plant pot. It was just like doing a jigsaw puzzle, but with more mess. The whole experience was absorbing and satisfying. So much so I am going to go out and buy myself a jigsaw and plywood and glue, smash a few plates and cups, and give it a go myself. Ann Sullivan

Beautiful results.
Week One: Glass tiled bird or fish
Week Two: Ceramic Tile mirror or picture
Week Three: Broken crockery  pot.
Week Four: Grout all of them and paint with Resene paints.
$62.50 including materials per week for four week beginners course.
Website www.jkeen.net

Book now for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday mornings.
9.30am to 11.30am

Creative Quote of the Day

I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists.
Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.
John Steinbeck



Creative art Classes
For all ages and stages, from beginners who have not painted since school days, to watercolourists and oil painters ready to try a new direction.

Loosen up and learn to paint with everything on anything. That’s what mixed media painting is all about.

 Combine different painting and drawing materials and methods.
Have fun experimenting with crayons, oil pastels, pencils, stamps, stencils, gel mediums, fluid acrylics, inks, hard bodied paints, varnishes, reflective and metallic paints, and collage items.

You’ll learn the ins and outs of super duper new art products.
 Never be confused in an art supply shop again!

Explore the magical effects of acrylic paint.
It can slide, drip, splatter, crawl, pool and puddle, shine and sparkle, and veil or reveal.
You’ll be amazed at what you can ‘get away with’ using acrylic paint.
You can cover up your mistakes easy peasy and paint at a galloping pace because it dries quickly.

There’s no right or wrong in this class.
 Share ideas and laughs, give it your best shot and embrace a new hobby to last a lifetime.

COURSE OUTLINE 6 weeks

$62.50 per two hour session, plus bring your own materials. List supplied. Be prepared to do some play at home.

• Understand colour and texture ..........Week 1.
• Discover acrylic’s versatility   .......  Week 2.
• Create imaginative backgrounds .......Week 3
• Learn composition and design   ..........  Week 4.
• Layer paint, and develop surface treatments and special effects                                            ....... Week 5
• Incorporate collage, digital photographs and other transfer techniques                                    ........  Week 6.

Ring Janet Keen 3463435 to book in for Fridays

Childrens book illustrating and Writing Workshop at Rotorua Arts Village Monday 29th April 2013

Me ( Janet Keen) with thirteen school holiday programme pupils at the Rotorua Arts Village in New Zealand. 

They are all making their own children's books with stories they are creating and illustrating.

(I haven't put the children's names in for privacy  reasons, so if any of the pupils are reading this,  Just remember I  never forget a face)

Thank you for doing such a great job.

 I enjoyed teaching you all. 

Well done.  

 

I had such fun helping these lovely young people, everyone was well behaved and focused. 

 

 First of all we made an eight page book with good quality cartridge paper.
Sarah who comes from England and is a professional artist,  was one of my helpers. (She is standing down the end). 
She folded up the books all ready to go while I  demonstrated  how to make a story board with eight squares on a piece of paper, which they filled in with rough outlines. 

My other helper was a pupil from Girls High, she was on a Gateway Scheme. 
She helped the children with getting the supplies ready and colouring some of their pages with background colours. 

 She looked like she was having fun as well and had done some visual diary making at school in an accelerated class. 

As you can see people were motivated and focused. 
I had a separate table all piled up with examples of the books I  have illustrated,  visual diaries I  have made and a lot of illustrated children's books that I  have collected over the years.

I included as an example my after school  pupil,  Kyle Burling's work with his story board and folder full of illustrations.
The children were impressed. 

After they completed each stage of the process they were all given a sticker as a reward which they could put on their book if they wanted.
 I find that pupils of all ages can be motivated by stickers.
I use them often. 
They are inexpensive and they help to encourage people to extend themselves. 
 

Here is a lovely example of well illustrated work.
 Each persons book had a special charm of its own
 Everyone did something different which allowed them to express their individuality and creativity. 

Sarah helping by making some special 3 D writing, the children loved her input and her gentle caring style. 

Sarah also helped with their spelling

This was a great example of using a published illustrated book as inspiration.

 

This was an example of a bigger format for a book.

I believe if a person has an idea that is different from what others are doing they should be encouraged to explore it. 

 One of the the worst things in the world I believe for a teacher to do is to crush a childs ideas and be too rigid. 

 Children and infact everyone  needs  the opportunity to  problem solve and fly with their own voices. 

This empowers people and encourages them to have a go.

Often I can learn from children's ideas, it's a two way process.

This was an example of a book that came together beautifully

The illustrations were well made and large and filled up the space. 

  

This person was a pleasure to teach, she got into it all very enthusiastically.

This book was charming. 

The drawings were sweet and the painting of backgrounds really nicely done.

She was only 6,  so was doing well to  achieve a finished result.

This book was fun as well.

                                      Lovely, happy attitude. 

 This guy had his story worked out right from the start.  

Very  exciting and full of danger. 

Three D writing, helped by Sarah 

This person had a great lot of well made drawings prior to coming to class. 

My advice to him is to keep going to art programmes  and make more books.

At the end they all showed off their books. 
These were the titles: 

Everyone got their lettering done in pencil and most of their illustrations and they were rewarded with stickers and a home made card from me. 

They accomplished a massive task in three and a half hours. 

Absolutley fantastic.

 I was very proud of them all and really pleased with the results. 

Creative Quote of the day

Students don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. 

Anonymous

I am enrolling for after School classes now.

 There are places for people on  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday After School  in mosaics, craft and painting. 

$25.00 per pupil per hour. 

374 Clayton Road, Rotorua, New Zealand. 

Phone 3463435

 email: jkeen@clear.net.nz. 

text 025313887

Middle Eastern Cooking Class at Rotorua Arts Village.

I've discovered  a means of  travelling out of Rotorua New Zealand without hopping on a plane or a ship. 
 Who needs a magic carpet when you can go to cooking classes with  other people from all over the world ? 

I've always loved cooking; mostly because I love eating and seeing the smiling face of my husband when I cook his favourite dishes. I'm a  believer that the key to people's hearts is through their stomachs and that sharing food is a great way to break down barriers. 
 
I really like and appreciate the look, taste and fragrance of exotic   food. I try to vary my dishes every week  because I  don't like being a rut dweller. 
 My repetoire includes Italian, Greek, Japanese, German, Indian, Thai,  Chinese, French Provincial, Mexican, Vegetarian, Seafood and good old New Zealand lamb, beef and chicken roasts.

I find it easy peasy  to follow most recipes so I 've never bothered with  cooking classes, unless you count the  bland and boring school ones, I had to attend as a teenager. That is the only time, dishes I made, like  Toad in the Hole or pinwheel scones tasted like vomit material. It's quite surprising how school seemed bent in those days on squeezing the life out of anything that could have been creative and fun. 
 

When I received  Susanna So's  email newsletter  from the Rotorua Newcomers Association, advertising a Middle Eastern cooking class with Palestinian, Nabih Mansour I signed up immediately. 
I knew it would be fun. 

I love the  falafels, hummous, pita bread, pickled cabbage and beetroot that Nabihs sells at the RotoruaThursday night market. Last time I had them I was sitting with an American tourist and she said she'd travelled all over the world and had never tasted falafals that tasted better. 

 Nabih had also attended one of  my six week, beginners acrylic painting classes. 
 He was  a lovely person and I thought it would be great to spend some more time with him. 

 We were to learn how to make flatbread and Middle Eastern vegetarian soup and also to make pizzas out of the flat bread. 
The cost was only $15.00 plus bringing along your favourite pizza toppings. The plan was to share a meal at the end of it together with up to twelve people at the Rotorua Arts Village.


Susanna So,  Co-ordinator of the Rotorua Newcomers Network always sends me her  email newsletters even though I've lived here for over twenty five years. 
 I like to meet new people who come to live here because it gives me a window into another country as I ply them with questions about their lives. 
A large number of people who I teach art and mosaics to come from other countries or other parts of New Zealand. I find them really fascinating

If more of us valued food, cheer and  song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

JRR Tolkien quotes 

Prophetic Art Class Hamilton with Lynne Sinclair-Taylor

 I went  to a Prophetic Art Class on a Saturday with Lynne Sinclair Taylor. 
I found her to be a sincere, caring teacher who encouraged everyone equally. 
Her artwork is very well constructed in terms of technique and her concepts are intrguing. 
She has a wide variety of work, in pastels and acrylics like me. 
This is great because it's never boring.

We had to do a piece from our hearts after being still and asking for divine guidance. 

Prophetic art is not about producing technically skilled masterpieces. 

It is about letting go and seeing what comes out and looking to see what the drawings are telling you.

We used crayons on cartridge paper.

 

 Then we had to do something for a partner, containing a message for that person. 
My message was that the person needed to go walking in nature with a camera and take lots of shots and to buy a dog.
 The person I gave it to said she had been thinking of buying a dog and that her son had a camera which she could borrow.
  I thought  if she got a dog she could go to forests by herself and the dog would be a good protecter. 

She gave me this. 

Saying I had gone through a dark period but light was coming through. 

Then we had to do a picture for a mystery person. 

I got this one from a woman and I  loved it.

 The thought of  a nice light house with pillows made me feel happy. I think it means that I need to rest . 

Also a frying pan which is about cooking. 

I do a lot of cooking so it's telling me to make nourishing food. 

Which I  have been, ever since and I have lost weight. 

I did another one of a big flower for my mystery person, who happened to be the same person I  did the first one for  and it was full of kind hopeful words, but she put it away before I  could photograph it. 

 Then we had to do a card for someone and we were supposed to give it away to someone in the steet we didn't knw but I haven't done this because  I  don't like forcing things on people I don't know. 
 I have kept it but I  am going to make some more cards on the theme of peace and give them away. 

 Finally we had to do a picture for ourselves and this was mine. Bringing in hope for the future.

 These are some of the other people on the course who were very nice.

 Everyone enjoyed themeslves and were very friendly.

 Communication was open and relaxed.

Lynne also gave us some handouts to help with our ideas. 

 I will probably go back to another one in the future with Lynne as I like going to other people's art classes and this was enjoyable. 


Prophetic art classes by Janet Keen Creativity Queen. 
I have come up with my own accelerated prophetic art class. 
I can put a package together for up to 14 members of your church or Sunday school or bible study group. 

We will be using dyes, oil pastels, coloured pencils, stickers and stamps. 
Half day classes, 9.30am to 12noon. 
Minimum 8 Maximum 14 
 From  $62.50 per person including materials. 

Children's two hour prophetic art classes from  $50.00 per child including materials. 

Ring 07 3463435
txt 0252573887
email jkeen@clear.net.nz
 374 Clayton Road, Rotorua, New Zealand


Creative Quote of the day
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. 
Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.
Denis Waitley

School Holiday Painting Classes For Fine Young Artists

 School Holiday Painting and mosaic Making Sessions


 
 Tuesday 23rd  Wednesday 24th and  Friday 25th  April.
10am to 12noon for 2 hours. 
 $50.00 per pupil and you can complete one painting. 

Hannah and Keira inside the studio

Hannah and Keira outside the studio,  infront of the fishpond with thier chamelion and bird mixed media paintings with buttons.

 School holiday painting sessions. 

Tuesday 30th April,  Wednesday May 1st May, Thursday 2nd May Friday 3rd May. 
2 hours,  $25.00 per hour per child. 
Top quality paint and materials. finish with a materpiece you can hang on your wall. 
Small classes
Plenty of attention, in a real live artists studio. 

Teachers welcome to join on for a session 
Three hours $75.00 per session including materials. 


Mosaic making three hour session $75.00 including materials per person.

Creative Quote of the day
Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play.  ~Henri Matisse

School holiday art craft and mosaic classes for all ages

School holiday art, mosaic and craft lessons for fine young artists
 From 9.30am to 12.30pm  

First week of the school holidays,  Monday  22nd, Tuesday  23rd, Wednesday 24th and Friday  26th April.
And the second week of the school holidays Tuesday, 30th April, Wednesday 1st ,  Thursday 2nd  and Friday 3rd May. 
People can make a mosaic fish or  bird.
They can make a  small mixed media painting of an animal or a self portrrait
All materials are top quality artist grade.
They will be producing great work that they can hang up in the garden or in their home or give away as a present.

Adults are welcome to come as well but theyare often slower and to complete a mosaic will cost them 4 hours and $95.00

Hanwei and Hanxi holding up their glass mosaic birds.

The lessons are $75.00 including materials per person  for the three hours.
Numbers are restricted to 6 people per session.
Payment is cash or cheque.
If the person is wanting to stay an extra hour for a bigger project they can and it will cost them an extra $25.00
People need to bring their own snacks and water and  wear casual clothes.

Finn drying his mosaic car.

People will need to arrive on time or even a quarter of an hour early as there is a lot of material to cover

 Everyone will all have fun being creative because I  am a very kind and patient  teacher who encourages people to express their individuality and creative flair. 
I have lots of examples of work  and art and mosaic books to inspire everyone. 
I love teaching young people because they are so free and spontaneous. 

Teachers are welcome to come along and have a go and make something. 
Just pick your shape, pay your money and off you go. 
 

 Phone 346-3435
Janet Keen
374 Clayton Road, Rotorua
Email jkeen@clear.net.nz

Sunsets and breaks away are good for your creativity

    Port Waikato New Zealand at dusk. 
We went and rented a small bach with a beautiful view for Easter. We mainly went for the sunsets because the West Coast of New Zealand has amazing light, quite different from the East.
More intense and moody.

I liked this series of a couple of people with a dog

I tried to tell a story.

The light was amazing.
We will be going to Napier some time and I  will be photographing the light there as well which is different again and we will be visiting the Ganet colony. 


Apparently it's more like the South of France.


Come along and make a visual diary  or miniature book with your photographs, paint and embellishments. 
Classes held Monday and Tuesdays. 

Contact me for prices and times. 
jkeen@clear.net.nz
07 3463435
374 Clayton Road, Rotorua New Zealand

Creative quote of the day
The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.
Jacques Yves Cousteau

How to make money with your art.

1. Be willing to improvise: make sufficient money to stay afloat.
Don't give up your day job, especially in this economic climate.
  or work part time. The people you work with may be interested in buying your art.








Keep your improvisation related to your art.
 For example, if you intend to be a painter and you get the chance to paint murals, go for it.
 If you’re desperate, take a job picking fruit, working at a checkout, or whatever you can cope with – view it as a study of the human condition.










2. Staying-power makes a huge difference. Remember the ‘ten thousand hours’ principle – most successful artists put in 10,000 hours of practice before they made real commercial progress.
 If you’re doing a part-time job and manage 20 hours a week arts practice, you’ll reach the 10,000 hours in about ten years.
Yes, it’s daunting. It can be hard to explain to friends, family and bank managers that this is unlikely to be a fast process.










3. Live cheaply.
Your art probably won’t benefit from alcohol, tobacco and expensive cups of coffee.
 Maybe a bicycle is better than a car.
Or walking (it’s important to keep fit – the lack of a car can be a blessing). Eat less meat (it’s expensive). It’s easier than it seems – once you set luxuries aside they seem irrelevant.










4. Spend time with people who are working on their own art and creativity.
 This is why cioming to me at Janet Keen Craft, Painting and Mosaic School  is  important .
 You  get the chance to interact with  a professional (me)  and fellow students.










5. Focus on the small successes.
 It’s a good sign if people get excited about your work even if they don’t buy it.
 If you can sell stuff at weekend markets then something is happening even if the money is pathetic.
 If no one is getting excited it’s time to review what you are doing.








6. Pay attention to the win/win dimension of creativity.
 The goal is to do something which is meaningful and important to you AND the market.
 It’s possible to have high creative integrity and to be commercially successful.
If your art doesn’t seem to connect with the market, keep experimenting until you find what works.









7. Be flexible.
 If your ten ton sculptures don’t work there may still be a future in jewellery.
The history of art includes many famous people who were willing to make radical changes to their original plans.





8. Forget about the fairness of the world and don’t take it personally.
 It’s not that people dislike your art – for the most part they don’t know you exist until you establish some relevance to them.






9. Respect your limitations.
 Everyone has limitations (technically, socially, economically and so on).
The challenge is either to go with your short-comings or to find a way around them.
 If you’ve got something to say through your art, find a way that suits who you are.
If you’re  shy, maybe you need to team up with someone else to ‘front’ for you.
 If you can’t stand the commerce of art, find a dealer who will help you develop your own potential and nurture you towards the market.









10. Trust your intuition.
 If you ‘know’ that what you’re doing is vital to your life, then find a way to do it.
 Get used to the doubters – they’re part of the territory.
 Chances are that other creative people will have the best insight into your ambitions and they’re often a great source of emotional support.
The list could grow much larger.
 If you’re in a hurry and want a one liner, be brave, believe in yourself and do the work needed to make dreams come true.
 Look at enrolling in an art course with me at Janet Keen Craft , Mosaic and Painting School.
It works.