One-on-One Mentoring
With Gail Sibley
Is it for you?
Being an artist is hard work. Full stop. Some days we’re in flow, other days we struggle to paint, to give ourselves grace, to accept that some days our art-making just doesn’t go as planned!
Support and guidance on your art path can be hugely beneficial. This is where mentoring/coaching comes in.
So you may be asking, “Do I need mentoring?”
The moment you start thinking about the possibility of mentoring is a breakthrough! It means that you recognise that you want something more in your art life, that you want to go deeper in some area of your art-making, or that you want to resolve some nagging issue. It may speak to your feeling of being distracted from your work. Perhaps you feel overwhelmed by life at the moment and you feel you aren’t making the progress you want in your art. Perhaps you know you’re procrastinating despite having a deep desire to create art but you don’t know how to get painting. Maybe you’re frustrated with the art you’re making and are unsure how to move forward. What you do know is that something has to change!
Once you acknowledge your desire, you’re empowered to take the next step. And that step is…finding your way here.
You’ve come to the right place. I want your creative soul to flourish! I want to help you be the artist you are called to be!
Our mentoring sessions are all about YOU. They are focused on what you want and need. My job is to give you that help. I want to help you unlock your artistic potential so you can move toward those dreams you have, to make the work you are impelled to do.
Not sure what you want or need? Here are some ideas:
- You struggle to paint consistently…I’ll help you set up some short and long-term goals and the best ways to develop and maintain your art-making habits
- You’re unsure how to develop and build your painting skills…I’ll help you see your strengths and then discuss areas you may wish to work on.
- You feel bored with your work…we’ll look at ways you can move out of your rut and toward a new direction
- You want a critique of some of your work…I’ll give you constructive and actionable feedback
- You have an opportunity you want to say yes to but you have a lot of fear and discomfort around it…we will work through those concerns and help you say yes (if indeed it really is the right decision for you at this moment on your journey)
- You want/need to write an artist statement but aren’t sure where or how to begin…we will get down to work on it! I’ll ask questions and we’ll get to the essence of your work.
- You want to apply for signature membership with an art society and you need help deciding which paintings to select for presentation…we will figure that out!
- You’ve just been rejected from a prestigious show and you were sure you’d get in. Now you’re struggling with negativity and despair about your art…we will review the piece and talk about how to reframe the experience, and create a plan of action.
- You have a creative block and you’re frustrated…I’ll help you understand why you’re experiencing the block and create a plan to move past it.
- You’re new to this art-making thing and you need some help figuring out the order of what to do when…we’ll get you sorted
I’ve helped artists with all of the above situations!
We can cover anything you’re struggling with.
- Sometimes we come upon an obstacle along our art journey and we need help to get past it.
- Sometimes we dream up an idea for a new direction but just can’t get going on it.
- Sometimes we just need someone to challenge us, to push us, to think and believe bigger and say to us, “yes you can!”
That’s what I’m here for! My job is to help you create the art life you want. I’m here to give support, ideas, feedback, and encouragement. I’m here to listen and ask questions, to understand and help you find your way forward.
You’ve decided to make a change. You’ve come here. Now it’s time to make the commitment…to invest in your art life. I’m here to help.
Am I the right mentor for you? I can’t say for sure but you’re probably here because there’s something about the way I work, my being, that resonates with you. I’m here not so much to tell you what to do but to help support you to figure out the answers yourself.
Our sessions will take place via Zoom. They’ll be recorded.
- Each call will be 60 mins long
- We will stay super-focused on your needs and goals and work through them
- You will go away with an action plan to move forward
- After the call, I’ll send you a link to download the recording
These calls can change the direction of your art life! Are you ready to make a change? Then book now!
NOTE: IGNITErs (members of the IGNITE! Art-making membership) get a 15% discount. Please contact me for a discount code.
Here's how it works
Book
Choose the number of hours you which to purchase. (I encourage you to consider buying three hours as that will allow us time to dig in. With all the years I’ve been mentoring, I know that real progress happens over time. Regular ongoing meetings over three months will give you the space you need to take action, get accountability and feedback, and then take action again. This allows you time to absorb, reflect, and then do. And then come back for a check-in.)
The Prep
You’ll email me with information about what you’d like to cover in our session together. I will then spend time reviewing what you’ve sent and create a plan of action for our call
The Call
We will meet via zoom for a 60-min session. We will stay focused on your goals and outcomes for the call. The call will be recorded and you’ll have forever access to the recording once you download it.
You are ready and want to book? Choose an option below:
One of the key benefits of art mentoring is accelerated learning. With my guidance, you can progress more quickly than they might do on your own. This is because I can provide personalized instruction, feedback, and critique that is tailored to your needs and skill level. Additionally, I can offer insights and knowledge that you might not have access to on their own. This can help you avoid common mistakes, learn new techniques more quickly, and gain a deeper understanding of your art-makimng journey overall. By working with me, you can achieve your goals more efficiently and effectively than you might have on your own. I hope you’ll consider me as your mentor!
Book now if you're ready to move your art to the next level!
NOTE: You don’t have to have a PayPal account to purchase. You will be given the option to pay by credit card on the PayPal page.
10 thoughts on “One-on-One Mentoring”
I just ended five one-on-one private coaching sessions (via Zoom) with Gail. I am a beginner in pastel (art, in general) and had been going at it alone for about three years until tripping upon Gail’s HowToPastel group on Facebook this past October. I immediately was drawn to her style in that group, experiencing her as warm, down to earth, humorous, skilled, kind and honest. When my partner asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I suggested she buy me some lessons with Gail.
When I reached out to Gail about this, she quickly encouraged me to set up a free 15-minute consultation call with her, which I did. I was extremely nervous about this phone call, given that I was such a newbie talking to such an accomplished art professional. Less than one minute into that telephone conversation, I felt as comfortable talking with Gail as I would an old friend. She quickly assessed my needs and we discussed a plan for our work together. I reached out to Gail shortly after receiving my Christmas present and she was as eager as I was to start our work together.
We started in January and I just finished my first five sessions with her a week ago. I say my “first” five sessions because I just bought five more!
Prior to my first lesson with Gail, I didn’t know what to expect, however, never in my wildest imagination did I think that I would’ve exceled as much as I did in just five sessions. Gail taught me some basics that immediately enriched the art that I was doing. One example is that my art went from flat to the three-dimensional “pop” in that short amount of time because Gail taught me values until I grasped them fully myself.
I have so much more confidence now when I paint. I often post the art that I’m doing on my personal Facebook page and I’ve received countless compliments and statements that people are really noticing significant improvements.
Throughout the first five sessions (and I expect the next five to be the same), Gail was completely flexible in regards to how often and when to schedule our appointments, always working at a pace that suited me. She’s a great listener and explained things to me in a way that I could understand (never having had any other art training).
If anyone is toying with the possibility of receiving instruction from Gail, there’s no reason to hesitate. I can’t think of one downside to this venture I’ve taken up with Gail. I am looking forward to what the next five sessions and what will open up for me.
Thank you, very helpful!😊
If you are a representational artist wanting to move your work away from dependence on what she calls the “external marker” to a more internal process, Gail Sibley (Victoria, B.C.) can guide your process of discovery. In a multi-step exercise she challenged me to let go of preconceived ideas of what I should be painting and, repeatedly, ask myself and then paint a series of “what ifs?” The results were varied, mostly unrecognizable as familiar objects. Surprisingly, those paintings that I, at first, liked least, sometime became dynamic and exciting after I was subjected to a few more of Gail’s “what if” challenges.
Richard Trachtman, New York artist
Gail has been extremely helpful with one on one coaching. The most wonderful thing is that the agenda is flexible; basically you could work on whatever you wish for. Recently I had a solo show and decided to do a short summary write up on individual painting to tell a story; Gail not only critiqued my painting but also proofread my summary! I don’t think any other professional artist would provide such service. Basically Gail is very accessible, makes good recommendation in improving the paintings and it’s always a pleasure to work with her!
Susan
My recent one-on-one lesson with Gail was so helpful. She willingly looked at my portfolio and offered some big picture advice to help me understand my weaknesses as well as my strengths. In addition, she looked at one particular painting and helped me understand why it wasn’t working and what solutions might be good options. She took the time to send a follow up email offering to answer any further questions.
I will definitely be scheduling more one-on-one lessons!
Thank you so much Esther for this very positive review! I really enjoyed looking at your work and giving you my thoughts. Your love of nature comes through in your work and I’d encourage you to delve deeper into that revelation and intention. Look forward to connecting again!
It was so encouraging to read about the experiences of fellow artist with Gail as a mentoring coach! I simply had no idea, that mentoring with Gail was available until I stumbled upon it today! What a gift! I am a member of Ignite a pastel group taught be Gail. Therefore, I must say that I am so impressed with Gail’s ease in conveying such complicated concepts such as the rule of thirds and color temperature to the point that it is easy for me to grasp. I have tried other teachers and Gail leads the race by huge margins!🌺 Needless to say as an emerging artist it is challenging to understand how to improve and develop without guidance of a mentor that is credible and invested. So, I look forward to signing up with Gail for mentoring sessions!
Hi Denise, thank you so much for your kind words around my teaching! I do love helping others move forward – it’s such a reward when I see it happening!!
I look forward to working with you 😀
Hi, Gail.
The reviews are great. I would like to find out more about your IGNITE group. How many are on your waiting list. I think I should be on the wait list now. Is your Facebook group open to the public? I think reviewing it would give me a better idea about what the group is like. Would you mind sending me a link?
I am also thinking about your five one on one class package. Though I would like to see the Facebook group first.
Do you have any full length real time videos that I may review? That would assist me in my decision making process about what classes are right for me.
Kind regards,
LoriAnn Schell
Hi LoriAnn,
Thanks so much for your interest in IGNITE! There you’ll find real-time demos with me expressing my thoughts and detailing what I’m doing. And yes, I see you’re on the Waitlist!
I think checking out the membership will be a great first step to seeing if you’d like to work one-on-one with me.
As to the Facebook group, you can request to join it HERE. Basically, it’s for subscribers to my HowToPastel blog.
Look forward to working with you!! Let me know if you have anymore questions.