Art education should be fun, easy, and designed for the whole family to do together!
Hi, I’m Sally Stansfield, professional artist and homeschool mum of 8! At the age of 10 I had a dream, a dream to become a professional artist. Art was something that came easily. Throughout school though, I realized that not everyone had the same opportunities that the “gifted” art students did. I didn’t know how I created art, it just happened. However, I did know that practice was essential.
After years of practice and growth, I finally made it to Loughborough College of Art and Design in England where i obtained my degree in art. Soon after, I found myself in America. I had never planned on coming to America, and definitely never planned on staying the rest of my life. However, I met my husband, fell in love, and got married. We went on to have eight children whom I homeschool. (Yes, they are all mine! Yes, I know what causes it, and yes, we have a TV!)
As a homeschool mum, I began to realize that art is not just for the gifted, but can be taught incrementally like any subject. I saw first hand how traditional teaching methods for this subject can be detrimental. I was drowning in phonics, diapers, and dishes. So, we joined a fine arts program to give me a bit of a break from teaching everything. Sadly, my oldest only learned never to draw, again. The teacher held up her picture and said, “This is not how you draw a cloud, class!”
My daughter was crushed and I was mortified. Not only had this teacher turned my daughter off from a subject I love, but I paid her to do it! There had to be a better way to teach art to children. Young children love to create and do so naturally. How could we keep that passion going? I had to find the answer.
So, I started to play with art and see how everything could be broken down step by step. Over the past 17 years, I’ve taught students from 5 to 95 how to paint and draw. Everyone is an art genius! They just need the skills, techniques, and practice to perfect their abilities. You get to the Metropolitan Museum of Art the same way you get to Carengie Hall–practice, practice, practice!
I have seen how art can transform lives and inspire people of all ages. Now, I want to share my passion with children young and old around the world to ignite their own love of creating art.
