Which Art Schools Should I Go To?


Which art schools should I go to? That is a difficult question for a high school student interested in applying to an art program or art school? If you have a teen wanting to go to art school, this can be a very overwhelming and stressful decision for them to make. As a parent or a teacher, it's great to help them decide and navigate which art school they should go to. I have a free, helpful resource and some tips for making the decision of which art school. Learn more by reading below! 


Which Art School Should I Go To?


First it's important to understand that deciding where to go to school after high school is a difficult decision, but with an art school or art program, this decision can be even more challenging and overwhelming. 



First of all, there are a lot of decisions to make, and a lot of art schools and art programs are highly competitive to get into.



Students often need to create an art portfolio that has samples of artwork that they have made in order to get accepted into that particular school.



To learn more about how to create an art portfolio and ensure that your teens are portfolio applications, stand out from the crowd and help to get them accepted. Click the button below to download my 10 tips and free guide.



When Should My Teen Think About Where They Want to Go to School?



Start having this conversation with your teen when they are in either grade 10 or grade 11 it's really good to start the process as soon as possible. In grade 10 they don't necessarily need to decide where they want to go to school or what art program they want to apply for but it's good for them to start considering making decisions and thinking about the options that they have.



They could consider researching different art careers that they are interested in having.



You could also have a conversation with your teen about dream schools that they are interested in applying for. You can click here to learn about popular art schools in North America. And you can click here to learn about popular art schools around the world. 




By starting the process early of having your teen figure out which art school they should go to you have the opportunity to visit different art schools so that your child can visualize if they see themself attending that particular art school.


Your teen also will have the opportunity to apply to more scholarships and do research about which scholarships they are eligible to apply because the cost of tuition continues to increase the year after year.




Lastly, by starting this process early, your teen has the chance to work on and perfect their art portfolio application, so that their art portfolio can really stand out and dazzle the review panel that is making the decision about which teens get accepted into the program and which teens don't. 




Again you can download my free 10 tips and that's a very helpful guide for making your teen's art portfolio stand out by clicking on the button below.





Luckily for you, I have created a free video training that has a list of questions that your teen can consider, when choosing and applying to art schools and art programs. You can watch this video training with your teen and then have a conversation about some of these questions that I ask in the video.




You might also choose to watch the video separately and then talk about the video together with your child later.





To access my free video training to help your child decide which art school they should go to click here. 





Decisions Your Teen Needs to Make:


Location, Location, Location


The location of the art school is one of the most important decisions for your teen to make. They really need to reflect and decide where they want to go to school because they will be going to school for the next 2 to 5 years of their life.



Do they want to go to school close to home or do they want to live further away and have independence? There are pros and cons to both of these decisions and this is a great family conversation to have with your teen.

The budget


It's really good to have a conversation about money with your child. You can even help them prepare a budget so that they understand the expenses that are related with living on their own or going to school. Even if they are living at home and going to art school, they will still have expenses such as having a vehicle, paying for gas, paying for their cell phone, dinners out, etc. 



As a family, it's good to talk about what you are contributing financially, to help them in their post secondary journey. This way there are no financial surprises and your teen knows exactly what to expect this can make the process less overwhelming. Your teen will feel less anxious because they will know how much money they need to make and contribute when going to art school



Of course there are a lot more questions that your teen needs to consider when deciding which art school should I go to and in order to access those questions I invite you to check out my free video training it's a quick 30 minute training and I give you a list of questions to consider I also talk about how to create a budget with your teen in a more detailed cell access the video training by clicking on the button below!












9 Types of Art Expression



Art can express a lot of different things. Here are 9 types of art expression. When an artist creates artwork there is a message and expression intended on the piece they create. Find out more about the 9 types of art expression below. 



What is Art Expression?

Art expression refers to the way artists communicate their thoughts, emotions, ideas, and perspectives through visual mediums. It is the process of using art as a means to express one's inner world or respond to external experiences. 



It's important to remember that art expresses something and communicates some sort of idea. There is always a purpose or intention, for why an artist made a particular artwork.



Art expression can exist within all forms of art, including photography, print, making ceramics, textile, work, painting, drawing, animation, videos, etc.


Art expression can be broken down into nine different categories, and here are the 9 types of art expression listed below. 


9 Types of Art Expression


Emotional Expression:

Emotional expression is where artists can express different emotions through the art that they are making. This could be expressed through colours through the mood through texture of the brushstroke or through other symbols that convey emotions. There are a lot of different emotions that could be conveyed and communicated in an artwork, including sadness, grief, depression, happiness, love, passion, pretty much any emotion could be communicated in an artwork in some way. 

Personal Narrative:

A personal narrative is the artist's personal story, and this could be communicated through, adding text to an artwork, adding personal photos to an artwork, adding memories or other symbols, like diary, or journal entries into an artwork. A personal narrative is something that is private, but the artist is choosing to create an artwork and bring a private and personal topic, Public. The artist could communicate difficult things that are happening in the artist's life that are also universal topics like losing a parent, having a miscarriage having a cancer diagnosis, etc. Personal narrative artwork can also be very therapeutic at a healing process for the artist creating the artwork. 



​​Cultural Commentary:

If the artist belongs to a specific cultural identity, they can share their cultural identity in their work through their use of colours, or other cultural symbols. This can be a way of the artist sharing their cultural background with the viewer in the artwork they are creating. 



Societal Commentary:

Artists can also communicate what is happening in society whether it's a natural disaster, climate change, or something happening with the political landscape artist can communicate these ideas through symbols pictures illustrations adding text or other ways. By creating art related to some thing that is happening in society it's a great way for artist to create a discussion and dialogue with the viewer about what we need to change and addressed as a society to make the world a better place.



Imagination and Creativity:

Artist can make work related to their imagination or creativity artist could make work related to a dream and innovation or other creative idea they can use different colours illustrations and ways of communicating this expression.




Spiritual/Religious and Symbolic Representation:

An artist can communicate their spiritual or religious beliefs through their artwork, using a variety of different symbols that is known to that particular religion or spiritual belief, such as across colours, words, or pictures that represent their particular religion or spiritual belief. 

Abstract Expression:

Artists can also create an abstract work, which has expression in it through the use of colours, brushstrokes and focusing on the elements of design, such as the shape, space, form line colour, texture, and value.



Realism:

Artists can create realistic work by mimicking something from real life, or mimicking a photograph in a painting, drawing or other art form. There is even hyperrealism where the painting or drawing looks identical to a photograph. 



Surrealism:

Surrealism is a expression that is a mixture of dream like a fantasy with realistic elements. One of the most famous surrealist painters is Salvador Dali. 




Which one of your favourite 9 types of art expression is your favourite leave a comment below on this blog post. 



Be sure to follow me and connect with me on social media by clicking on one of the icons below. 

What is in the Art Portfolio Course?



I have created an art portfolio course to help high school students with preparing their art portfolio applications for art school or an arts-related program like fashion design, video game design, architecture and more! Learn more about what is in the art portfolio course and when it is available by reading more below! 



Art Portfolio Course - Get Into Art School 

When is the art portfolio course available?

The Art Portfolio Course is only available during May and September - you cannot purchase it other times during the year. 

To get on the waitlist and hear about when the course is available -make sure you are on my mailing list - you can click on the button below and I will send you a copy of 10 Tips to Make Your Art Portfolio Stand Out - for FREE! 


Click the button below to join the waitlist! 


If you have questions about the portfolio application process or would like feedback on your work and the course is not open for registration - check out my art portfolio coaching by clicking on the button below. We meet online and you can choose to book 1 hour or 30 minutes. 




Who is the Art Portfolio Course for?

This course is designed for high school students who know they want to pursue a creative career. Most creative careers like graphic design, illustration, fashion design, video game design, animation, fine arts etc. need an art portfolio submitted for students to apply to that program/school. 



While this course is great for grade 12 students/high school seniors -this course is great for students who love art and are in any grade of high school.




It is better for students to start preparing for their portfolio early and to begin thinking/planning for the process instead of leaving it to the last minute and having to balance:

  • Part time jobs

  • Significant others

  • Friends 

  • Exams/school projects 

  • Family time/vacations etc. 




This course is also great for high school art teachers looking to learn more about the portfolio process and better assist their high school students while saving time with the done for you resources, worksheets and planning pages! 




What’s Included in the Art Portfolio Course?


Video lessons that you can watch anytime. You have lifetime access to the course. You don’t need to finish the course by a certain date or in a certain amount of time. 




You can watch the video lessons as many times as you want to help you learn or review the material. 




You will also gain access to a private Facebook group where you can ask questions, share your work and find other people who are applying to art programs to hold yourself accountable.


This course will cover the following topics in depth through video lessons and PDF resources, checklists, templates, worksheets all to help you learn and save time and headaches:



  • How to plan your portfolio - what to include/not, how to prepare, how to fix artwork, how schedule and manage your time, what to consider when applying to schools, how to make your pieces stand out etc. 

  • How to create key pieces, where to find inspiration, how to improve your artist mindset, 

  • Time management tips, how to avoid plagiarism, how to show the creative process

  • How to critique and improve your work, how to ask for feedback

  • How to choose titles, details in your portfolio to pay attention to, how to write and speak about your work

  • How to photograph your work and edit photos, how to plan your shots and what shots to include 

  • And so much more! 


In addition there are some bonuses:

-How to prepare for an art interview 

-How to write an artist statement and bio

-Art 101 course - colour mixing, learn about/review the elements and principles of design, composition, how to create a focal point, figure drawing, portrait drawing, drawing from observation and more! 




  • Quick action bonus - of if there is limited time -ideas and examples of artwork you can make to add into your portfolio. 




VIP option


I have 30 spots available for VIP. In VIP you will get access to the course above, the bonuses, the private Facebook group you will also receive a portfolio review where you will submit 20 images to me of completed work and I will give you written feedback of what to fix, what is great, tips to rephotograph the work etc. You will receive a 30 min coaching call one on one with me where you can ask questions, get feedback, ask what pieces to include etc. We will coordinate a time throughout your process to choose a time that works best for you. You will also receive a discount of purchase 30 min. Get 30 min. Free for one on one coaching to be used at any time. 



There are only 30 spots available as the VIP coaching. 



If you don’t get a spot or you would prefer to pay for the one on one coaching - you can pay for that here.


Click the button below to get on the waitlist for the course and VIP course option! 

Have Questions About the Course? Contact me Below!

What is Teachers Pay Teachers?


What is Teachers Pay Teachers? TPT stands for Teachers Pay Teachers. It is an online marketplace where teachers and parents can purchase and download free products to help support student education. Resources in all subjects and grade levels can be found and they range in prices from free to $200 with most products being under $5. Find out more about what Teachers Pay Teachers is in this post!



At first, I felt guilty purchasing products on TPT to be used in my classroom. I tried talking myself out of buying a $4 presentation, worksheet and slideshow on a topic I knew nothing about.

When I though about it I ended up saving at least 6 hours to research the topic on early humans, make the slideshow, the worksheet, edit and format everything. The $4 was well spent and I feel a lot less guilt now spending a few dollars to pay for something that is going to make my job as teacher easier!

In my first year of teaching, I was teaching a lot of subjects and grade levels that I was unfamiliar with. Planning units became very time consuming because I was having to research and plan the content before teaching it.  TPT helps build up your bank of lessons, activities and ideas.



TPT is the first place I check before I begin planning because often I can find what I am looking for - for FREE!  Usually, I can’t make something as nice and as pretty either. 

TPT offers a variety of sales throughout the year. It’s a great idea to join their mailing list to get notified when there are upcoming sales. Their sales are often 20% off which means you can save even more on products that are already inexpensive! 


Something that I recently learned about TPT blew my mind! If you leave a review on a purchase you made (not a free download) you can actually earn credits to be applied on future purchases!  It’s a win-win - you help the seller build a trusted reputation and you give yourself a credit to use towards your next purchase! 


In my TPT shop, I am focusing on art resources because that is my speciality! I have products for middle school and high school art! 

Still curious about what TPT is? Visit my shop here and follow me so you can see new resources that I put out!

Check out some of my products here:  Click on any of the images if you are interested in learning more about the product!

Insect Symmetry - free download- click the image to download this freebie!

Insect Symmetry - free download- click the image to download this freebie!

Purchase Drawing Prompts for High School here - 30+ pages!


Even if you are not a teacher and you are a parent TPT is worth the look - you will be able to find activities, worksheets and more to help your child with a topic they might be struggling in!


Here is the link to follow me on TPT and check out my shop!

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