My name is Jessica Melrose and I have been teaching art since August of 2005. I graduated from the University of Arizona with a BFA in Art Education with an emphasis in 2D art.

I teach painting, drawing, digital photography, video production at yearbook.



PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING ART

There are many misconceptions about art at the high school level from it being an "easy A" to it not being important, or perhaps it's not a class that many students or parents consider to lead to adequate career choices. My goal as a high school art teacher is to prove these misconceptions wrong, or at least open the eyes of students and parents to the wide variety of opportunities that can come from having a comprehensive art portfolio. Visual art is the foundation to many respectable careers aside from being a freelance visual artist, including architecture, graphic design, web design, photography, videography, illustration, arts management, art therapy, art education, interior design and even culinary arts. Even having the ability to make an aesthetically pleasing resume is an important skill for students to have.

I've found that many art teachers focus too much and too early on creativity with students, because they think creativity is the easy part.  You wouldn't ask someone to write you a symphony on their first day of piano lessons, so in my teaching approach, I start with a focus on skills and techniques necessary for communicating. I teach drawing techniques first, through value, texture, and color studies, and then introduce the elements and principles and methods for being creative. Once students are confident in their artistic ability, they feel more comfortable expressing their ideas because they know exactly how to translate it into their artwork.