Shortly after I left college, nearly 35 years ago, I was asked by a local museum, which had an education department, if I would be interested in teaching a class on the fundamentals of painting the portrait. Having just completed my university education and with a desire to further my own studies, my initial reaction was to say that I wasn’t ready, explaining that I wasn’t sure I knew enough to teach anyone anything! However, I had just started my career, and although the pay was modest, I did have some concerns that I shouldn’t turn down the opportunity.

The Portrait Society offers monthly webinars with a variety of instruction by leading artists of today. Details can be found on our website.

 

One of our most popular programs is artist to artist critiques. Shown here is Leslie Adams, who along with many other artists, provides valuable portfolio critiques to conference attendees as well as to our members throughout the year.

 

As I so often did, I phoned my friend and former professor, artist Dawn Whitelaw, to get her opinion. She encouraged me to teach the class, citing two reasons: 1. That I would always know something that someone else didn’t know, and 2. That one of the greatest benefits of teaching is how much you learn from the students along the way. With those ideas in mind, I accepted the position to teach the class and found that she was absolutely right. Although I still had much to learn, I realized that I also had much to share. Often, I didn’t know the answers to questions that were asked of me by the students, so I simply honestly told them that I didn’t know, but that I would work to find out. Preparing for the classes and seeking to answer challenging questions led me on a wonderful road of discovery that I still travel today. For 32 years, I have never stopped teaching, but more importantly, as Dawn had suggested, I have also never stopped learning from my students.

Sharing our knowledge and assisting the growth of other artists is the core mission of the Portrait Society.  Conference faculty donate their time and resources offering instruction during the annual conference.

 

At the heart of The Portrait Society, there is a passion and love for sharing. Our faculty come from all over the world with a variety of backgrounds and experiences that create an atmosphere of learning rarely seen in any educational institution. Our all-volunteer group of instructors, demonstrators and lecturers passionately engage our members in a variety of ways. From our Wednesday Webinars, to The Everett Raymond Kinstler Mentorship Program, to the many opportunities available at the yearly conference, including workshops and one-on-one critiques, these faculty artists freely give of their time and knowledge to support, encourage and educate other artists.

Interested in taking a class with an artist you admire? We offer three pre-conference workshops in addition to the annual conference that allows attendees personal instruction.  

 

We learn from observing and listening to others, which is exactly what Ron Hicks was sharing when he taught alongside Quang Ho where they both shared their individual approach during a dual demonstration.

 

I think everyone would agree, as I learned early on, that engaging with other artists who are inspired to learn and grow benefits both teacher and student alike. Our first chairman of The Portrait Society, artist Gordon Wetmore, often quoted John F. Kennedy as saying, “A rising tide lifts all boats.”

Sincerely,
Michael Shane Neal
Chairman