If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I ususally have my beginning oil painting students start by making some small studies of fruit. They set the fruit on a background that is the complimentary color of the fruit itself and this helps them to start to see color relationships. It is, however, a case of teaching how I was taught which, as good as that was, I am always skeptical of. So...when I mentioned last week that the first paintings would be of fruit and...my students moaned and groaned..."fruit? so boring..." I went home and thought about it. I thought, well, maybe they're right. Maybe fruit is boring and maybe I can provide a variety of small objects that can be studied in this way. Maybe these different objects will even allow the students to work at their own level...the beginner beginners choosing a wooden block and the more experienced beginners choosing a pine cone let's say. I wrote a whole new lesson plan and made a detailed project sheet. I arranged the various objects in a pleasing way to entice them to "mix it up".

And...

...almost every student has chosen to paint fruit.

Maybe...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.