Authentic art comes naturally from the artist. It is spontaneously created through an artistic process individual to the artist. Every artist has a different approach to creating his or her own unique vision. Matisse did not paint like Picasso nor did he want to. Each artist searches for an individual style which he or she can own and present repeatedly. With this in mind, the art teacher is in a difficult position. A position where facilitation of creative freedom is the goal. Too much direction can backfire. Authentic art follows no formulas. Art is defined by no rules or boundaries. The definition of art itself has been debated for centuries with no definitive answers. The mystery of art is the beauty of it. If we had it all figured out it would be easy to produce, and the process of making it would be reduced to mere execution. The artist’s goal is original creation, a much trickier task. The artist is inherently suspicious of directions, rules, formulas, and definitions. All is called into question. The artist must be a maverick determined to paint or create in his or her own way. The most an art teacher can give a student is the encouragement to make an original mark and an atmosphere conducive to creativity. The teacher can point out certain pitfalls or successes which inevitably occur in the painting process, but these are usually exercises designed to help the student solve visual problems. The conundrum of teaching art lies in finding a balance between technical instruction and encouragement of individual expression.
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