Overview & Teaching Philosophy

Royal High School Visual Art classes are taught based on the California Arts standards.  Subjects covered are artistic literacy, creating art, presenting art, responding to art  and connecting with art and artists.  We study art of the great masters as well as more modern and less known artists.  It is important that students see a wide variety of art and styles as they are developing their own creative styles.  It is crucial to study artists that represent the students in some way; artists they can connect with and relate to.  I also cover the basic principles of design and elements of art within the framework of the California Arts Standards for Visual Arts.  Technology is a vital part of developing artists and is utilized where possible.

Not only does art allow for creativity and self-expression, it closes the gap with other subjects.  All subjects can and should be integrated into the art classroom.  We see how math, science, and history, impact art.  We study how music influences art and artists, and we use our artist vocabulary to communicate what we see and what we make.  As John Lithgow said, "The arts give young people tools to move through life. They teach them discipline and hard work, patience and civility. They give young people a sense of empathy. After all, art is about communicating with other people. Through the arts, young people find out who they are and where their imagination will lead them. ”

As automation continues to impact our lives, pursuit of the arts becomes increasingly crucial to humanity:

“One of the most profound means of human communication is the visual arts. By establishing a meaningful dialogue between an artist's vision of the world and our own perceptions, art can help us to understand ourselves more fully. Moreover, art at its finest gives us a deep sense of history, tradition, and the true potentialities of man's creativity. In today's world where often scientific development is regarded as the highest goal and where the individual frequently feels alienated from himself and those around him, the role of art becomes increasingly important in keeping open the lines of communication.” - Norton Simon, 1972