Stephanie Krause

PROCESS OVER PRODUCT!

That is my motto. In my classes, I emphasize what is called the Studio Habits of Mind - thinking like an artist! And what do artists do? They explore art materials; they follow their ideas; they make mistakes and seek solutions...they learn to trust themselves. 

My open-ended approach allows kids to think outside the box. I emphasize the joyful exploration of art media, within a framework that teaches them art techniques and concepts. They feel free to try new things, and they learn quickly that they don't have to ask "Stephanie, can I..." because my answer is  YES! 

Students in my classes might spend 45 minutes making lines on a piece of paper - learning how different art materials feel, how the pressure with which they hold a tool changes a line, how lines have personalities. You might not want to hang that on your refrigerator, but it's an experience that is helping them grow as an artist. 

Will they create works you might want to hang? Yes, of course! But it's not the point. The point, to me, is fostering a growth mindset and the freedom to express themselves with confidence.

AN ANECDOTE THAT SUMS UP MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

A four-year-old student in one of my process art classes told me one day, "I know an artist." She was awfully excited when I told her that SHE was also an artist, that every learner in the class was also an artist. I told her that being an artist is all about exploration and creativity, and that they could all make art their whole lives, even if it wasn't their official job when they were grown-ups. Her eyes got huge! The learner's mom told me that this four-year-old was excitedly talking all week about how she was an artist and could create whatever she wanted to. How wonderful would the world be if four-year-olds never outgrew that feeling? That's my goal!

In contrast, students who routinely engage in copy-me-exactly, cookie-cutter art classes tend to feel more creatively stifled, or more afraid of making a "mistake." They've come to expect a certain polished outcome, and it's difficult for them to break out of the confines of that kind of thinking to artistic freedom.

WHAT IS YOUR TEACHING STYLE?

I love teaching - and it shows! I laugh easily and often in class, and model growth mindset - and a great deal of silliness. 

I have one camera focused on my hands, and another on my face, so they can see me as I demonstrate and work alongside them.

• In my process-based art classes, I focus on teaching one art medium at a time - we often spend weeks exploring the ins and outs of a particular art material. Learners spend a lot of time discovering its possibilities for themselves. 
• In my art discussion classes, I act as the facilitator for a group conversation, encouraging the free exchange of ideas.
• In my Mistakes & Imagination classes, I offer different creative prompts - some drawing, some collage, some more sculptural - with the end goal of the kids allowing their imaginations to run wild as they seek for their own solution (or do something completely different)! 
• For my classes that are more focused on a specific outcome, like observational drawing or bookmaking, I offer clear step-by-step guidance to ensure we are all in the same place. 

I don't lecture; I engage students with inquiry (and I always respect the kids who'd rather watch than speak)! 

All kids learn differently, so I encourage all learners' adults to communicate with me before or during class if there's anything essential they feel I should know to help me work more effectively with their child.

WHY LEARN WITH ME?
I'm a teaching artist & certified art teacher with a BFA in illustration/graphic communications, an MAT in Art Education PreK-12, and a PA teaching certification - and more than 25 years of teaching experience with learners of all ages in multiple settings!

I'll post some testimonials below to offer a picture of my teaching - and you can read more about me and find more reviews on my website, The Art Playspace! 

• "[Stephanie is] cheerful, thorough, interested, exciting, involving, engaging, curious, genuine, friendly, captivating, enthusiastic... and to say more I would need my thesaurus."
  
  
• "This is a brilliant, comprehensive art course, my son learned new skills and ways of working with familiar materials. Stephanie is fun, brilliant with kids and kids love her. She is an innately flexible, creative person and her students learn so much from her attitude and openness to what they make. She is one of the all-time great art teachers and we are incredibly lucky to have found her."
  
  
• "Thanks to this class my kids have gained confidence and have a renewed passion for making art. Stephanie has a wonderful way with kids and creates a warm, supportive, inclusive and playful environment while privileging process over product. Both my kids look forward to this class each week and have opted out of other in-person options because they just love it so much."
  
  
• "An excellent teacher. She really helps kids to feel relaxed and comfortable just using their imagination to create. My guy second-guesses himself a lot and gets frustrated about his mistakes. This is a fun way to work on growth mindset."
  
  
• "Mrs. Stephanie is so much fun. She oozes a playful and contagious creative energy. In this class, your child will be engaged and encouraged, and helped "just enough." My daughter is always curious to hear what fun idea Mrs. Stephanie has next. Each class focuses on a new basic technique and create prompt, but the results will beautifully vary from child to child. Break out of step-by-step "copy me exactly" art classes and experience the joy of well-kindled creative freedom."
  
  

Click here to get up to $20 off your first online class by signing up for my mailing list on The Art Playspace!