Art is a wonderful expression of self that sets humans apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. From the cave paintings of ancient human ancestors to the virtual reality based modern art of today, humans have been compelled to tell their stories and convey emotional connections to the experience of existence.
Williston is a unique home to art, decorating even the mundane with beautiful paintings of landscapes, great leaders and animals. The sidewalks and alleyways have colorful creative murals that make the everyday commute to work cheerful and bright.
Perhaps the best part about art is that there are no rules. As long as no laws are broken, art can be anything. James Skinner is a firm believer in that idea. Since childhood he has drawn and painted, sometimes outside the lines because art is a form of self expression.
Skinner started off his college career in science education but changed to art education when he noticed his electives always ended up being art classes. He graduated with his art education degree and “just kept making stuff.” But being an educator can mean sacrificing some of what you love for the next generation.
“Being a teacher, you don’t get to make a ton of art because you spend your eight hour day doing art,” Skinner said. “So when you sit down at the end of the day, you kinda want to do something else. I haven’t been making as much art as I’ve been wanting to, so hopefully this class can help change that.”
Skinner is offering a mixed media art class at The James Memorial Art Center next month and it should prove to be an exciting one. Most art classes focus on one type of paint or pencil but Skinner wants to use them all. He wants to combine watercolors with acrylic inks and paints, crosshashing and even some gold leafing, and that's just a start. He also loves paint markers for their versatility and is excited to share his versatile teacher's perspective with students.
“If you go to art teacher college, you don’t really specialize, you're a generalist, which is kind of how teachers are, so this class is sort of the product of that,” Skinner said.
Anyone interested in the class is encouraged to check out the James Memorial Art Center’s website for prices, dates and times. This class should prove to be a no-holds barred experience, where anything artistic goes.