artist newsletter summer 2026 JACK DUCKWORTH’S
SUMMER 2026: Issue no. 13
Hello Friends
This newsletter offers thoughts on teaching. I’ve taught classical and folk guitar for many years to all ages. More recently, I’ve taught undergrad and graduate level practical theology modules in four international schools in four countries. In between, I earned a music education degree. In each of these local or crosscultural experiences I set out to equip students to go further in their journey. Teaching for me, means that every person learns in and through their unique life, mind, colour sense, style, touch, reason, culture, and desire. The instructor best facilitates the learning process by dwelling within these areas of the students’ as best as one can.
The “art” of teaching is, for me, releasing the learner to work the medium through their unique relationships and personality. In short, they produce their best work as they are equipped for their personal artistic sojourn. That said, doing art workshops is a newer challenge for me.
Seeing another’s work through my eyes and offering comments that affirms the good yet addresses areas of need is rewarding. Each comment is offered as both the teacher and learner set out to improve. This creates mutually creative growth. For example, when I instruct practical theology courses I preface the sessions by stating: I bring the best I can from where I come from but you exist where you serve and some of my ideas may not work. This is similar to art. Students ought not to use my ideas if they do not work. The learner needs to apply the ideas to his or her art in their here and now to develop their artistic gift well.
Both developing and learned artists use ideas best when employing the adage: “use it, choose it, or lose it.” If the idea works, use it, or choose only the parts that work, and lose the idea totally if it won’t work.
To whatever end my input influences another artist, I want whatever I do to facilitate their ongoing learning and resourcing to bless their continuing experiences.
Yours Artfully
JACK
Fall 2025
Fall news: Style finds the artist.
Style finds the artist. Regardless of the many contributing factors to creating a piece of art or how an artist emulates others’ work (and we all do), the components that combine to create each artist’s work flow off his or her brush. For me, attention to colour, composition, design, light, dynamics, admiration for another artist, and more combine to create my style. In the end, however, my work is my style.
I have been asked to conduct two workshops recently. Both invitations centered on my use of colour. This gave me pause to think about my distinctiveness. First, colours express something about me and my subject matter. Therefore, colour is integral to my style. Second, my colours are vivid because I use clean brushes. This means I use one brush to apply one colour in one area of the canvas, then they are put in the water jar.
So in a four-hour painting session, I will clean all my used brushes two or three times and replace the water in the jar each time. Third, I look for new colours and limit mixing so that the colours remain vibrant. Combined, these habits contribute to the composition, design, style, and colour of the piece.
To whatever end people like my style, I am grateful for those who have given my art a new home.
Artfully Yours
JACK
