Emily Elliot
Associate OF ARTs Degree
Southwest Mississippi Community College
Bachelor of Science in education
"Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisoned by the enemy, don't we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we're partisans of liberty, then it's our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!"
J.R.R. TOLKIEN
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
In my teaching practice, I want to be able to inspire my students to reach their highest potential. Art can teach them some valuable lessons, one of which is problem-solving. Art requires multiple ways of thinking and teaching students to look at a problem from all different angles and coming up with different solutions can be an extremely useful skill as an adult. Another skill that can be taught is how to take criticism. Criticism in art is used to help students become better and evaluate their work.
Some of the classroom goals I would have for my students are to: learn the basics of design, to create works based on art history, and to learn the fundamentals of drawing, painting, and sculpting. I hope to engage my students by making my class different from their regular academic classes. In most of these classes, the students are taught that there is only one answer and that they must be still and quiet. I want my classroom to be exciting with lots of different ideas and movement.
Some of the activities I would like to do with my class is to show them different types of art and for us to have a dialog about it. They can say whether they like it or dislike it; maybe they would like to create something similar. My reason for doing this would be to expose the students to different ideas and inspire them to try something new. Another activity I would like to try is for the students to create an artwork based on a written passage. After they finish, we would be able to see the different interpretations and it would hopefully inspire creativity in the classroom.
I hope to make a difference in my students’ lives and bring out the best in them. Art in a student’s life can be so rewarding and it is a skill that they can use into adulthood.
ARTIST STATEMENT
One of the things I love about art is that you can travel anywhere in the world, and you will know where you are by the look and style of the artwork. It is exceedingly versatile allowing for all manner of creative expression.
I have always been interested in art. It allows me to create my own little world where everything is how I like it. There is a vast number of mediums to work with: clay, paint, pencil, pastels all are very different and exciting. In my art, I usually work more in realism. Nature is one of the things that inspires me the most, the textures of old trees or the delicate petals of a flower.
Clay is one of my favorite mediums to work with. In my pottery, I gravitate toward simple forms with intriguing textures and colors. My love of clay also extends into sculpture. Modeling animals, as well as human forms, continues to bring new challenges. I want my artwork to tell a story and excite the imagination so that if someone were to look at one of my sculptures they would see something new every time they looked.
