Coreyartus

So I bit the bullet and decided to enroll in an online self-guided art curriculum.  I decided Schoolism.com was the choice for me, as the teachers are all leaders in a variety of art industries, and all of them are in the business of telling stories visually.  And that's what I want--the capacity to tell stories with visuals.  So I'm in week two of the Drawing Fundamentals class (taught by Thomas Fluharty) and it's progressing well. 

I don't get any real feedback, and there are no forums to join to get peer reviews (which is something I, personally, would like), but the amount of feedback he gives to those who pay for it is really substantial.  There are others in the past who have taken this course and turned in their homework to get feedback, and those recorded videos are posted in the course materials and are available to watch.  For $30 a month, this is a good deal.  We're talking 4-5 hours of Mr. Fluharty's recorded constructive criticism as he works over his students' homework to explain things they need to watch for.  It's really invaluable.

So I'm diving in.  I am forcing my part time job to be part time, and indulging in my own artistic education. Even though it's going to be an impossible endeavor (my job is SO NOT part time) I am confident I will be learning a lot.

Ultimately, it's all about making an impact on the viewer by telling them a visual story.  I am very excited about that. 

Got some news recently that has re-aligned some of my world, and forced me to look at things in a way I haven’t before.  While I felt at first it wasn’t good news, I see now that it was actually a catalyst to help push me forward.

I’ve long thought about what it would be like to have a career in art and illustration.  In recent years I’ve found the websites of a handful of theatre designers who manage simultaneous careers as fine art painters or freelance illustrators. I’ve decided to pursue that path now as well, because I have been assured a part-time position for 3 years in a row where I work (this is better than the yearly contract I had), which provides me a steady income while at the same time enabling me to dive into my personal art education over the long term.

The internet being what it is, I can now find a variety of vocational-oriented curricula provided by many on-line programs.  There are several focused on concept art for gaming and movies.  There are several more that develop one’s fine art skills.  None of them are accredited, but much like the artistic field I’m already in one doesn’t need a degree to be an illustrator or an artist.  Instead I am looking for a structure to learn within, to be guided by expert mentors while partaking in a vibrant community, and draw out the inner creative I feel is lurking inside me.  Any suggestions?

I have created a website to collect my illustration work since January, (www.coreyartusimagery.com/) and developed other social media “presences” that are predominantly about expanding my identity as an artist.  I am not stopping my work as a Costume Designer by any means, nor leaving the school I’ve been teaching at for the last 20 years.  But I am legitimizing and making room for my artistic journey which will help me discover new ways to contribute to the culture I live in.

I just needed to put this out there. I am incredibly optimistic about finding the right avenue and audience for my expressions, as well as developing new capacities I have never had before.

I am not going to ask you to invest in a Kickstarter or a Patreon account or buy me a really expensive “cup of coffee”.  I just ask that you consider defining yourself not by where you work or your job title, but by the contribution you’re making to solving the problems you see around you.

I’m going to try to solve some problems by making pretty things that inspire us to think and feel things.  Things that—to some small degree—ennoble us as human beings so hopefully someday we will eventually stop killing each other.  

You know, the University of San Diego campus is ranked as the #1 Most Beautiful Campus by the Princeton Review.  A LOT of money goes into creating a beautiful environment in which to learn, the thought being (in part) that if you are surrounded by things that uplift and pacify the spirit, you’ll heart can open up to goodness and truth.  

I hate the amount of money they spend on landscaping at USD.  But I can’t argue that working in bucolic surroundings hasn’t influenced me.  And I'm going to help provide that to others.

I got interviewed for TheatreArtists!!  Check it out!!

Corey Johnston - Art, Costume Design, Technology“You can’t go wrong with Collaborative Thinking”
Coreyartus is an adjunct professor at a small university in California. His university’s main goal is to prepare students in life skills, rather than a specific pre-professional practice. As a result, after nearly 20 years of teaching life skills through costume design and technology, Coreyartus’ students have been employed not only as arts management in various theatres around San Diego, but also in Disneyland, Leggoland, and The Old Globe Theatre.
Q1:TheatreArtists, “What theatre or theatre-related career interests you at the moment?”
A1: Of course, Costume Design has always held my interest, but I must say I've been jealous of the visually expressive work so many Set Designers do lately! Some of them... good grief, it's just gorgeous to look at. I'm starting to wonder if I could get away with trying to do some theatre posters/promotion graphics someday. But wh