Profile Description
Teach Me is the brainchild of Kent artists Yolanda and John Houston who have identified that many people are interested in crafts and want to learn or develop new skills in a friendly environment.
Teach Me courses aim to help participants express the creativity they already possess – sometimes without them even realising it. The courses fulfil a number of things – teaching new skills (or help people refine the skills they have); they enable participants to create something to be proud of; and they help them learn a little about the art or craft they’re doing.
Top quality materials and equipment are used, so participants can rest assured that they’ll be working with the best. Everybody gets something to take home with them and Teach Me’s tutors know everyone will be proud to show off what they have created.
Courses are held at Teach Me’s dedicated studios at 3 Cockreed Lane, New Romney, Kent TN28 8JH and apart from expert tuition, they include all materials, tools and safety equipment. Most courses are a full day, although a series of daytime and evening courses are also proving very popular.
The groups are usually no more than six people – so that lots of one to one assistance can be provided and equipment can be easily accessed.
To check out our courses and content visit www.teachmecourses.co.uk. Payment can be made in advance online or on the day for day and evening courses.
Art form(s)
- Crafts
- Glass
- Jewellery
- Mosaic
- Multi disciplines
- Painting
- Printmaking
- Public art
- Screenprinting
- Visual arts
Testimonials
An excellent day. John and Yolanda were very welcoming we learnt a lot and produced some very credible art works to take home. Friends and family were very impressed. I would definitely recommend the course to anyone who would like to have a go at painting in acrylics. (An excellent lunch was also provided!)
Lynn Western
Interview
YOLANDA HOUSTON
Yolanda having worked for years within education finally fulfilled her dream to become a full time creative - inspiring others to seek out making beautiful things across a wide range of activities. Always seeking new ideas and undertaking commissions which is a great way to learn and then share with like minded people - many of whom attend the weekly classes.
She is something of a creative polymath, since she turns her hand expertly to many different arts and crafts disciplines from stained glass and mosaics to silver jewellery and shabby chic. She is an experienced, patient and nurturing tutor, whose enthusiasm for the arts is highly infectious.
Yolanda has completed numerous public and private commissions and these include huge stained glass windows and doorways, mosaics that cover complete walls. Her mosaics can be seen around Romney Marsh and in its ancient churches as well as at various sites in London.
Nothing creative! I wanted to be a police officer but at only 4.11" that was never going to happen until the recent changes. I married my husband John when I was 18 and we both loved arts and being creative and did much on the DIY front in our homes. John also being a creative became a journalist and then went on to set up his own PR business whilst we had our three children, I whilst at home make cakes and confectionery to do my bit so developed the skills to make wedding and creative birthday cakes. I attended a local evening class doing stained glass and from that point on I was hooked on the beauty of glass. However, I worked alongside John for a while in the business and then worked in schools as a business manager - neither of which I enjoyed. Finally we made the decision to move out of London and set up an art school in Kent. This took some time as I transitioned between travelling to London and Kent whilst we built up the arts business. I am now fully committed to doing what I love and mixing the skills that I have gleaned over the years to create a wide variety of art. I feel so fulfilled doing my classes, courses and commissions and especially sharing my knowledge and skills with students.
I have always loved making things. As the youngest and only girl with five older brothers and my parents running their shop I was pretty much left to my own devices. My youngest brother and I would raid the DIY store next door and then exit to the shed where we poured plaster of pairs into moulds, begged scraps of wood etc. and sat on the door of our parents shop selling our creative wares. My dad always took us to the Ideal home exhibition where on the top floor it was the most exciting place with lots of creative projects, tools and ideas, these let to inspire me to always want to make and create.
I have always loved being creative, starting out making a wedding cake for my English teacher's brother - which was a real WOW. I began making and icing cakes initially which helped while I raised my children, I had many commissions. However, I also loved making things from wood, glass etc. and developed a love for glass and the beauty it holds - I use more glass in my mosaics than the traditional tiles.
Cakes took a back burner as the market became very saturated with "cake makers" so I began to do more glass and mosaics. My first big mosaic is in a London Nursery and took me a while year to make I really enjoyed designing the piece which still stands today and the school changed the logo to the mosaic I had created for them.
My mind never sleeps, I am constantly thinking about creating things, what if I do this? what if I do that? learning from other artists and seeing what they have made. I love exploring with others - students and artists, where something could be created to enhance the beauty of creating more interest in art. Making the 14 church mosaics was a fantastic project as so many people now tour the churches just to see the mosaics.
Working in my classes I have learned that passing on my ideas and knowledge has created a host of new talent - people that are better than I am at what I have managed to teach them and that is fabulous.
My Golden moment is seeing the smile on a student's face when they have made something they are proud of. On a personal note I think my current project is the one that I will be most excited about making mosaics for a bandstand and seeing its transformation from dreary to kerpow!
I get many compliments about the pieces I create, I think the churches are the one that I get the most praise and recognition for - they are lovely and I hope that they will remain for many years to come. Also, I was recently awarded the pride of the town, for the joy that the classes and workshops that I run bringing to others the same joy - that is an honour.
Designing new projects, especially the bandstand but I have ideas for future projects which I have not started yet that I am really excited about being able to do.
I would like to create a sculptural three dimensional piece. I would like to create this in fused glass, wood and copper to create interchangeable pieces for different bible stories. I am not necessarily religious but I think it would lend itself really well to this theme and it is something children could be a part of and also used for special occasions, weddings, christenings etc. so maybe I can get someone to commission this piece?
There are a few artists and books that I follow and love.
Being able to create, left alone with some great music and my studio to just make and be me.
I should have done this earlier in my life. I was too scared to believe that I could do this.
Dont leave off putting your dreams into reality, be brave, take that step and never think that you can't do art - you can, we all can!
Address
3 Cockreed Lane, , New Romney, Kent, United Kingdom, TN28 8JH
Location
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