Fine Arts Model Interview Preparation Guide

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It's what I do for a living; it's not my life. I'm not in love with it; I simply don't mind doing it.

In my experience, most clients want to see a finished painting of the finished painting before they say yes to a commission. The only way I will do so is if they pay me for all the time and effort that will take. They rarely agree to do this.

What I do instead is "describe" what the painting is going to look like. I show a sample of my work so they can judge the quality of the draughtsmanship and painting style, and I ask them to trust my judgement. So far, I have had no complaints.

Absolutely. An easel painter paints for himself; a muralist paints for others. It takes more ingenuity and creativity to work around the clients demands and still get your way. But also, a painting is a self-contained environment; a mural is contained in an environment.

Understanding this principle is what separates muralist from easel painters. You would be surprised to discover how many artists have tried to become muralist and failed. They simply could not adjust their thinking.

Getting paid. ;)

Because I only paint when someone hires me to paint. Except for a few panels that I keep for myself, I have nothing else to show.

If by that you mean success as judge in dollars, then I have failed miserably. I have discovered that being a good artist sometimes has nothing to do with financial success in this business. The business side of art has to do with marketing, showmanship and the bullshit factor.

I am neither religious or superstitious; I am agnostic and academic. But I will protect people's right to have their own convictions even if I do not agree with them. I also try to be aware of the beliefs of others because this is going to influence how they perceive me.

☛ What inspired you to become an artist?
☛ How did you get where you are today?
☛ What is the main challenge you face when beginning a painting?
☛ At what point in the process of the painting do you begin to feel like the painting is almost completed?
☛ How has painting influenced your life?
☛ What qualities do you look for in people you work with or other artists?
☛ How do you manage balancing work/life?
☛ What do you like most about your career?

☛ Tell us about yourself.
☛ What do you enjoy outside of your job?
☛ Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
☛ What is a goal you would like to accomplish?
☛ Where did you earn your degree?
☛ Why did you choose this institution?
☛ How will your educational background help you be successful in this position?
☛ How would you describe your communication skills?
☛ What drives you to work in the field of fine arts?
☛ Do you prefer to work with a team or as an individual?
☛ What personal experiences and skills do you have within the art community?

Many school districts can't offer you huge amounts of money for art projects. Explain that you're a natural bargain shopper. You'll always seek out the best deals on art supplies.

You should remind the interviewer of your no-waste philosophy. You don't let kids throw away big scraps of paper that can be used again. You'll try to unclog those stuffed up glue bottles, rather than throw them away.

Also, let them know that you can make artwork from simple, everyday household objects. Maybe you know how to make Christmas ornaments from light bulbs or you can turn empty soup cans into lanterns.

This is a very important question to be be asked to an artist while taking an interview. It gives the understand why the artist is passionate about his work and why he enjoys doing his work.

This question needs to be asked to know the favorite artwork of him and why it is favorite to him.

Not getting paid. Even Titian had problems collecting from clients.

Retirement? There is no such thing for an artist! I may stop painting tomorrow but I can't stop being an artist. Artists never retire.

By asking the question you can gain the understanding of the experiences a artist is having.

The most effective way of avoiding behavioral problems is to keep students interested, involved, and engaged from the moment they walk into your room to the moment they leave. It is essential to have classroom rules posted clearly in your classroom. Routines are important-- kids should know where to sit, when to get materials, what the clean up procedures are. As the teacher, you must enforce the rules and routines consistently each and every day.

Hopefully, you use positive reinforcement to encourage the best behaviors. You praise your students' efforts often, and you offer constructive criticism in a positive way. When kids do misbehave, it's best to handle situations on your own, when possible. (Only the most severe cases of disruption or violence should be sent to the office.) Taking away privileges or responsibility is often an effective method for managing classroom behavior problems.

You can easily connect art to Social Studies by teaching cultural art. Example: If students are learning about Australia, you can teach kids to make Aboriginal Dot Paintings in art. You can also connect art to historical themes by making connections with art history. You can also tie into Reading and Writing by teaching kids to describe and critique artwork.

Whether you like it or not, the art teacher is often responsible for setting the decor of the entire school. You'll likely be responsible for keeping the halls full of student work and updating displays on a regular basis. You'll be the one they turn to when they want a mural painted on the gymnasium wall. They'll run to your room when it's time to set up the annual display in the district office building. And, when the community art show comes around, you'll be the one that is expected to coordinate it. When it's time to create the yearly district events calendar, you know they'll be turning to the art teacher for a collection of high-quality student work samples. Art teachers have a HUGE responsibility outside of general teaching. You need to reassure the interview committee that you're aware of these responsibilities and are excited to take on these challenges.

Art as we know it has always been about business. The purists think this is wrong. That art should not be concerned with this. I agree with the principle of this sentiment, to a point. There is a certain ring of truth about it that feels right.

But the purists like to create dogmas that tend to forget reality. Some consider artists, like me, who have managed to earn a living by marketing art to others, to be beneath their self-proclaimed standards of what a true artist should be. They forget to realize that artists have lived from time immemorial from the fat of the land.

Let's face it; a painting or a sculpture, for example, has no practical value. It cannot feed you or shelter you. Therefore, the artist depends on others to support them so that they can make art. The artist has to secure ways to get that support, and in my book, however he gets the support he needs, is valid.

Unfortunately, for those "intellectuals" who make distinctions, to be "commercial" is a filthy way to earn that support. But I tell you, if I were able to take away the art grants, the fellowships and the museum gifts, most of those voices will be silenced. They will cease to exist. Survival of the fittest would rule. Supply and demand would rule.

Artists and art intellectuals who think that they work in a vacuum neglect to acknowledge that without an audience, a market, without the sponsors and the buyers, there are no artists. Without these they will die. We all need each other.

The artist always hopes, secretly perhaps, that there is a discriminating and perceptive public which will admire his or her work. The public needs the artist to remind him that in a world of tangibles, art offers them something they desperately need: spiritual values. It may not be a perfect system and it is subject to abuse, but in the end, the market, the buying public, has the last word.

Murals are more demanding. A muralist works in the open. He is exposed to the public and to the elements. It demands confidence in ones abilities and, above all, it requires physical endurance.

I have painted in weather ranging from 105 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit. I had brushes become stuck the surface because the heat would dry the (acrylic) paint almost instantly. Also, when you are close to a wall you lose your point of reference.

Therefore, you have to be a good strategist and be absolutely sure of what you are doing. Timing yourself is essential. If you time it wrong and miss a deadline, you may lose more than money; you will lose your reputation.

This question is for candidates that are interviewing for high school art positions. The simplest answer to explain how you engage students in worthwhile art activities. The final projects come out so beautifully that students are proud of their work, see their talent, and have a strong desire to create more!

I challenge myself by trying to get in and out of bed at the same time every day. I challenge myself by trying to keep up with an exercise program. And, I challenge myself by learning something new every day, like a word in a foreign language.

In all these things I have failed. But when it comes to painting, there is not much of a challenge; painting comes easy.

First, the capacity to bring the obvious into focus. In other words, to see beyond ones nose. He does not judge, he makes us understand. A good artist has the ability to perceive what others have failed to notice.

Then, the artist organizes these ordinary images of life to say extraordinary things about us and the world in which we live. Finally, the artist must communicate his art in a language of symbols that have meaning to the viewer.

Unfortunately, there is a lamentable split between artist's intentions and public perception. It is largely the result of the absence of art education and the nurturing of visual thinking throughout our public school systems.

And it is also the result of the isolationist stance of the art community, which has refused to recognize that visual perception in the public sphere does not occur within art world parameters. It occurs in the context of the "real world," in the context of popular culture.

Pretty colors will catch the eye of the public for a few seconds; colors can even influence psychological and emotional moods. But it is the understanding of visual symbols and the relationship of images that engages the mind of the viewer in a cognitive dialogue.

When communication between the artist and the viewer is achieved, there is a higher state of human enrichment. I believe that it is at this point that the artist creates art.

There is involvement and professional satisfaction while you work on a piece. You take pride on doing a job to the best of your abilities. But once you're finished, you have to walk away and forget about it.

An artist needs a certain level of detachment from his work in order to remain objective. You can't fall in love with your work. I've known so many who puke on a canvas and call it a masterpiece.

Only one... really! All my drawings are done inside my head; I am no good with a pencil. After I complete the research, gather the props (or pictures of the props) and visualize the composition, I then proceed to draw the cartoon (a finished drawing that serves as the pattern for the painting), which will end up projected onto the painting surface.

I rarely make changes. This is a very reliable and productive method I learned from studying Norman Rockwell.