Students’ comments

ā€œJane has coached me informally for three years, firstly as part of a group and more recently on a one to one basis.

Jane always sets clear goals which challenge and improve my skills as well as allowing my imagination to evolve. She is able to assess my strengths and areas for focus and development. She does this instinctively and through her considerable experience as a practitioner and tutor/coach. She can only achieve this through her positive relationship and ability to interact with empathy and understanding.

As a coach she sets herself high expectations through her preparation, research, clear aims as well as sharing her experience and knowledge. Jane connects. She validates work and ideas. Jane encourages dialogue and questioning. We look at a range of work by other artists as well as being kept up to date with up and coming exhibitions.

Through Janeā€™s coaching I have learnt many new things and importantly have found somewhere to ā€˜place’ images and ideas. My skills are improving as is my confidence in this new area. I seem to be evolving a style of my own.

Jane is an excellent teacher and coach and it would be wonderful to see her being able to develop this aspect of her practiceā€.

HS

ā€œMy time with Jane has provided me with support and encouragement to try new things and challenge myself whilst being given valuable support and advice. As a great creative coach, Jane has pushed me to help unlock my creative thinking and aid me in applying for opportunities, be that though feedback on artists statements or practical help in setting goals and ambitions to motivate myselfā€.

POā€™B

“Jane asked me thought provoking questions that lead me towards a reckoning with my own process with a warm and genuine interest in my work. She manages to bring her own insights without judgement and directs in a suggestive way that I felt to be honouring of my own voice in my work. I came away feeling heard and nudged toward my full potential”.

DC

ā€œI have been having one to one coaching/mentoring with Jane for a year; she is a natural teacher, coach and mentor. She ably combines freedom with boundaries, skill with imagination, rigour with relaxation. She has allowed me to grow imaginatively and creatively both as an individual and as a contributor to a group. She inspires confidence. She modestly gives of herself and her life’s experiences. Jane encourages a persons innate talent, sets boundaries, challenges in a compassionate clear manner. She gives focus to the student and their work”.

HP

“Through your patience and encouragement you have helped me discover, through art, ways of painting that are a complete surprise to me. I found a wonderful gift that has been hidden away for years and without your help I would never have found it. Thank you.”

EM

“Jane has provided one to one mentoring and coaching support to help me continue to develop my art practice. As a novice this has been extremely beneficial to me. Jane has supported me to develop my skills, and style, across a variety of unfamiliar drawing and painting media. She has provided valuable knowledge and insights into new ways of working at an appropriate pace and through experimentation and feedback. Sessions with Jane have provided encouragement and support as well as more direct coaching to help me acquire technical knowledge and skills development. Her feedback is always constructive but equally important are the questions and challenges which encourage self development and build on areas of existing confidence and competence whilst promoting new ideas and areas to explore. Sessions are serious but fun, technical but strong on motivation and encouragement and above all very much influenced by what we both bring to them.”

AB

ā€œJaneā€™s teaching has given me skills and confidence, provided time to experiment with lots of different techniques and materials, and above all freed up my creativity to really enjoy what Iā€™m doing. I now spend more time at home thinking about and making art.  Jane has encouraged me to give myself permission to take art seriously and really get pleasure from it at the same time.ā€


LO

JOā€™D: ā€œJust to say how much I have enjoyed my online classes. I am a complete beginner and with your guidance have been amazed at what I have achieved in such a short time! I am still developing my own style and look forward to working with further online tasks set by you with the very valuable and thought provoking feedback.ā€Ā 

AB: ” Jane is a very generous and attentive tutor. Under her guidance I have resumed my interest in drawing and painting after many dormant years. Her teaching strikes a balance between clear instruction, demonstration (which I felt I very much needed as a beginner) and a very flexible approach to encouraging individual styles to emerge.

“As someone who had only ever dabbled in occasional art workshops when time permitted, and who had never been taught the basics, I was delighted to find Jane’s classes when I retired. 

“Jane works with individuals at their pace whilst also encouraging experimentation and fun. Starting with developing a rigorous understanding of the basics of drawing I have subsequently been encouraged to explore my emerging style using a wide variety of approaches to sketching, painting and printing. The feedback Jane offers is always constructive and insightful and memorable. “

HS: ā€œOnline and offline, Jane is a natural teacher. She inspires confidence whilst at the same time being challenging and not allowing me to ā€˜hideā€™ and escape difficult tasks. She combines the teaching of skills with an instinct for developing and harnessing my imagination. I joined Janeā€™s class as a complete beginner and have experienced a huge range of different techniques in her sessions.  

An empathetic, rigorous, fun and patient person who importantly is a gifted artist as well as teacher.ā€

JH: “When I think back to my early tentative attempts at drawing I really appreciate the progress I’ve made since, thanks to Jane’s encouragement and support.

“I’m now painting in oils and acrylics and I know I wouldn’t have come this far without working through Jane’s exercises and projects and without the insight and guidance she provides ā€“ she can spot your strengths and weaknesses before you do and push you into trying techniques and approaches which all help to develop your own style.

“Jane’s courses have not only developed my drawing and painting skills but have given me a much broader appreciation of artistic styles and approaches.”

PS: ā€œWhen I decided to face my fear and take up painting lessons, I interviewed several teachers and I decided you were the one I wanted to study with, so I was really happy when you offered me a place. I like the way you encourage me to do things I find difficult, things I resist doing such as drawing accurately, thank you for helping me with that.

You make me laugh.

You walk the talk in what you paint and do what you tell us to do. I am looking forward to unlocking my artistic creativity and I feel safe and inspired being guided by you. For all of these, dear Jane, you are my teacher!ā€

LO: ā€œJaneā€™s classes have given me skills and confidence, provided time to experiment with lots of different techniques and materials, and above all freed up my creativity to really enjoy what Iā€™m doing. I now spend more time at home thinking about and making art. As a result of her classes Iā€™ve given myself permission to take art seriously and really get pleasure from it at the same time.ā€

LH: “Janeā€™s classes incorporate a well thought out progression of exercises that successfully encourage anyone with an interest in developing their own artistic potential. Adults that havenā€™t drawn since school, to those more skilled artists, there is something for everyone one here.

“Jane does not prescribe to one method of doing things, she likes to give gentle pointers through her exercises & then allows her students to develop both their own particular style, and also their own use of a preferred medium.

“The classes are varied and funā€¦often experimental in nature, but nearly always generating long-term learnings that can be put to good creative use across any medium.

“This is no ā€˜one size fits allā€™ type of course, it is much more accomplished than that.

“I cannot recommend it highly enough”.

SP: “Many thanks for a great workshop. This is a long-winded way of saying that you are an outstanding teacher.

“After years of teaching I have watched (and assessed) some hundreds of lessons while managing and inspecting schools and I can’t help watching the teaching when I am in a class, as well as loving to learn. I was struck from the outset how well-thought out the day was and how thoroughly prepared you were. You built the confidence of participants, whatever their starting point, through your series of short, really accessible drawing exercises outside on Dartmoor – they encouraged the can-do approach you doubtless intended (and of course you laid on those beautiful views). You encouraged each of us with specific, clear advice, delivered in a calm, clear way, allowing each participant to see what we could do to lift our game.

“You are clearly very conscious of each individual as someone with individual needs – you didn’t take the foot off the pedal when we were busy and responded quickly and positively when you saw anything that needed a hint or support. When we moved indoors to paint in the afternoon I saw the same strengths; you addressed the needs of all, stretching the most able and encouraging those who found the move to oils a steep learning curve (amongst whom I my count myself); it seemed that we were all able to relax, learn and enjoy the experience. Finally, you closed with some discussion about everyone’s work; this was full of encouragement and clear about what was strong about different pieces, and you gave advice about next steps… you are an outstanding teacher and I strongly recommend your courses to anyone considering them. A great day!”

SI: “Iā€™ve been teaching for more than 30 years – and am delighted to have found in Jane – a really good teacher – for my art practice. I can honestly say that I have found Janeā€™s teaching inspirational. In the class I attend there is a broad spectrum – from real beginners to those who have quite a lot of experience and want to really develop a particular aspect of their work. Jane keeps us all in mind, offering a structured approach for those who want it, or helping others with what theyā€™re keen to work on.  She is endlessly encouraging and appreciative of our efforts, and, most importantly, gives the time and thought to exploring a way for each of us to move forward at our own pace – offering suggestions for developing ideas and techniques.

EM: “Jane is good at basics but also freeing so I can discover my style, each lesson is a good surprise ā€“ all leading to giving me my own skills to eventually produce something that is more than I imagined I could achieve! I love each lesson!”

CD: “Jane is encouraging, I like being given discipline alongside freedom to create, I am learning more than I expected to.

R: “Good structure, good to be properly shown the basics.”

JS: “I am learning to see and draw.”

SH: “I learnt something about myself.”

J, wife of dementia sufferer M: “Thank you Jane, you are patient and kind to M, he is getting pleasure from the classes.”

EG: “Jane’s teaching is absorbed over time, I am learning it is a journey.”