Individual Drawing Lessons with Niki Kriese
What we do
I offer drawing and painting lessons for middle school students through adults, emphasizing experimentation, confidence, and individual focus. I first get to know each student, discussing interests, goals, and skill levels. From there, we will build a solid foundation of the fundamentals of drawing, and how we can use that to express ourselves. This sets us up to explore our own best methods of working. Individualized attention means students are only compared against their potential, and challenged to a degree that is productive. Learning from mistakes is highly valued. In short, we will have fun while learning the essentials of art making.
About me
I hold an MFA in Painting and Printmaking from Rhode Island School of Design and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Additionally I earned a Collegiate Teaching Certificate from Brown University’s Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning. I have taught at the undergraduate level at RISD, Rutgers, and Parsons School of Design, and have been a practicing artist for over twenty years.
Rate
My rate is $100 per one-hour weekly session. Sessions are flexible to meet your schedule: most weekend, weekday or evening times can be accommodated. If needed, I can offer a free trial session, so the student and I can get to know each other and figure out if we are a good match!
FAQs
Who the heck are you?
I am a painter who has also worked in fiber, sculpture, video, etc and I love to experiment. I am a mom of two creative kids who love to draw but want nothing to do with my class 😉. I am a teacher who always wants to challenge her students to go further and make new discoveries. I am originally from the midwest but have called the east coast home since 2005.
Where is this happening?
My home/studio is in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. I love holding sessions outside when it is nice outside (spring, summer, fall) but we can also work in my working studio (Full disclosure, studio is also home to a curious cat).
I am a grown up and I want to learn how to paint but I am…scared, overwhelmed, busy, feeling silly, terrified of starting something new. What should I do?
Let’s talk! I am also a busy grown up and I think there is nothing better than carving out time for yourself, time for being a student and making mistakes. (In the spirit of sharing - as an adult I took singing lessons and performed at a recital amongst child performers. It felt silly and vulnerable but also great.) And you can make a painting of WHATEVER you want. 😁
What are some things we might do?
-Observational drawing: learning to look carefully, and ways to “trick” our brain to really see
-Techniques for depicting objects in space: perspective, sighting, using tone and value, to name a few.
-Learning good drawing practices, from holding the tools correctly, to setting up interesting still lives, to framing dynamic compositions.
-Materials: learn about, practice and experiment with a range of traditional and non traditional drawing tools
-Creativity: let’s push your ideas even farther together
-Building a body of work: Portfolio development for high schoolers; feedback on existing work
Contact me if you have any questions or to schedule!