 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
June 2000
Education Canada Magazine
by Valerie Spradling
Before starting to teach, James Picard sought out those who had spent a lifetime learning. Along with these apprenticeships, years of studying, books, newspaper articles, magazines, films, and more books. It may take a little persistence to break through the thick exterior of his personality to realize just how much knowledge lies within, but it is expressed in his eyes, shown in his work, and talked about by his students.
After studying art at two prestigious Canadian Art Colleges, he abandoned the structural teaching methods in favor of apprenticing with world renown artists and then went on to establish himself as a prominent artist in his own right.
Picard embarked on his teaching career fortuitously, being asked to teach a workshop in New York after narrowly missing top spot in a New York Sculpture Competition. He brought with him back to Canada a tremendous desire to share his artistic knowledge with others and started the first ever sculpting course for the visually impaired in British Columbia. With letters of recommendation from the Premier of British Columbia, the Mayor of Vancouver and various other political and prominent dignitaries, Picard pushed ahead teaching both adults and children of varying levels of ability. His classes now range from sculpture to drawing and painting to " how to get your art career started" workshops.
"It is invigorating to see someone as talented as James is, sharing and inspiring those to push themselves and experience the wonder that is creation" says Clark Cunningham, who hired James for his position in New York in 1996. "His passion for what he does overrides everything, he puts it all into his discipline. He ends up teaching that art and life are indistinguishable - in that lies his purity."
James Picard continues to teach for both the Vancouver and North Vancouver Continuing Education Programs as well as teaching various workshops. He exhibits his work across North America and Europe and is collected worldwide.