Jonathon

My Passion & How I Inspire

I have extensive experience as both a professional artist running my own commercial studio for the last ten years and as an art teacher / creative Head of Department with fourteen years experience of teaching art and tutoring at the very best Independent Schools.

This combination of academic abd professional experience helps young people who are struggling with their own work as artists, designers and historians to gain knowledge , confidence and skills and ultimately gain places at University and Art School . I have a 100% acceptance rate into the leading academic institutions in the world.

Drawing is the basis of all art work and that is the focus of my direction. I aim to equip the student with three things : the skills that they require, the confidence to explore their own personal psychology which is essential for producing work with integrity , and lastly to lay out a clear structure in a subject which can be very overwhelming.

Discipline in this subject comes from clear direction.

I very much raise the creative bar and expectations are set at the top level. That sense of leadership[ brings about great results in a caring and sympathetic environment. I always believe in the candidate as an artist or art historian and as an individual, with the student quickly realising that I am willing to invest my time and and energy with them and their work. I will go above and beyond in their cause setting up extraordinary chances for them to succeed. ( ie visiting fashion designers , or getting private pre-breakfast access to galleries )

Conceptual issues and creative techniques are quickly learnt and adopted as second nature and that personal investment changes everything.

Sketchbook development , coursework , thorough and relevant art history , life drawing are all crucial for success in this subject. I teach conceptual thinking , feminist, gender,  political and social art methods and understanding.

Gallery and museums are a crucial resource and an essential part of my education methodology and using the wealth of opportunities we have in London for drawing, site visits, research, first hand learning , providing candidates with secure art history and the knowledge to be able to respond to the work of other cultures with confidence.

My tutoring experience with students who are now studying at leading institutions both nationally and internationally has meant that I am very experienced in knowing the methodology required ( and most of the tricks ) to be able to gain optimum marks from the mark scheme. I have been on many training days and courses in examination marking , technique and appraisal both for GCSE and Advanced Level.

Previous candidates have gained places at Camberwell, Slade , UAL, Parsons The New School for Design, and Penn University. I have tutored 11+ students in their preparation for Art Scholarship entry.

I have tutored on Undergraduate Degree programmes as visiting lecturer and the basis of my education is grounded in Art History and is the bedrock for all practice. Training as an Art Historian at London University , the analytical basis , contextualization, critical analysis , is fundamental to fine art practice and art historical analysis. Art history is itself a multifaceted discipline embracing many different methods , perspectives and interests in both fine art, textiles, ceramics, photography and video,  print , digital and architecture.

Within architecture tuition I establish clear practices for portfolio submission, including teaching linear perspective, two three and multi point perspective, the formal elements based in the Classical Orders via Postmodernism to Contemporary.