Making art and teaching art are two different things and require different energies. Many artists are not adept at both. Danielle Ingeri is the proprietor of Outside the Lines Art Studio on Kuser Road in Hamilton. Opened in 2022, the studio offers classes to children and adults, in drawing, painting, ceramics and pottery on the wheel. Ingeri is high energy, and her studio is clean and organized. Her love of teaching and the arts is apparent.
How did you begin your career path with art?
I have always loved to doodle and draw especially since I wasn’t very good at sports. I was very fortunate to have parents and teachers who encouraged me to expand and explore my love of art. That helped me to continue to grow and find ways to have art as part of my career path throughout my life.
So the next natural path was to share that love of art with others. I had always wanted to have a studio to do art in and share with others but that wasn’t possible at the time. So, the best way for me was to teach. Even when I felt I was done with traditional teaching art in school, I finally got the chance to move into teaching art studio style.
Why teach art instead of other subjects?
I can’t say that I only taught art. Teaching was what I chose to do for a large part of my adult life. Art specific jobs were hard to come by, so I took on whatever subject/grade I could so I could get in the door. Once I was in, art was always incorporated into my subjects. Then the day finally came when the art teacher job opened, and I was in!
What a difference! I was in my glory and had a blast sharing what I loved with others on a daily basis and watching them love it too! I did that until I decided to retire from teaching. Retirement was not really a spot I was going to stay in for long, and an opportunity finally presented itself where I could take my love of art and still share and teach to others by opening a studio in a town that was lacking creative venues.
Is your family supportive of the arts in general and your school in particular?
I was very fortunate that my family (parents) were very supportive of the arts. My husband and children are also very supportive of my art and teaching. All the schools I worked in supported the arts.
Which medium of art is most challenging for adults to learn?
I haven’t come across any medium of art that I would say is challenging for adults to learn. I would ask, what is it that challenges adults not to learn some form of art? Could it be that they are not secure in their own likes/dislikes of art? Could it be that they aren’t financially able to spend for the funds to create art? Could it be that they lack the time to invest in classes? Are they of the mindset that they are too old learn something new? We can be our own worst critics, which can keep us from exploring art as well as other things in life.
Which type of art or media do the young people like the most?
I think that depends on how young were talking about. Grades K-4/5 love all types of traditional art and media, because their background experience is less than those in grades 5 and up. For fifth grade and up, the medium they like most at the studio is ceramics. Most start with hand building, because it teaches some core knowledge about clay, its attributes and the fact that it is instantaneous. Most students like the fact they can build a ceramic clay piece and see what it’s supposed to be when you hand build.
It can be a little frustrating to work the wheel and not produce what you thought you could from the start. Wheel throwing is a messy format, and some don’t care for that part as well.
Who were some of your artistic influences?
Some of my artistic influencers were my parents, my 8th grade teacher and most of my high school art teachers as I was growing up. Artists that I feel influence me are Wassily Kandinsky, Claude Monet, Georges Seurat, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Louise Nevelson.
Which type of art is the most challenging to teach?
The most challenging medium to teach is wheel throwing. People who have seen the movie Ghost come in with that in their head and think, they can do it that way. Unfortunately, that’s a total myth. Now, I have had some students who come in and seem natural to the process of throwing. It could be because they allow themselves to just relax and explore the medium with no preconception of making anything but what comes from their playing.
Those who take the time to practice do very well, but most just come in for a try-it experience. They leave having fun and with nice pieces, but not always able to commit to the longer sessions to become better.
What fight/struggle do you have regarding your art?
My biggest struggle currently is time. As an artist/teacher you have the desire to create, but not always the time to create for yourself. As the studio owner and teacher, I put most of my time into teaching and helping my students with their works while growing the studio environment. I love what I do.
Can adults make colorful and care-free art like children can?
Yes! Adults can make colorful and carefree art just like the children if they allow themselves to. Sometimes that means that they need to find a place and or person who will allow them to explore that aspect in a safe and nonjudgmental way.
Practice and encouragement are needed too. Our lives these days are so busy and packed with things we must do, and we don’t allow ourselves that time to be care free.
What is on the horizon?
On my horizon is to continue to get out there so people know me and that the studio is here for them. To continue to give people of all abilities the safe, friendly, relaxing place to come and be creative.
Outside the Lines Art Studio, 1710 Kuser Rd. Hamilton, NJ 08690. Phone: (609) 833-2345.
Danielle Ingeri of Outside the Lines Art Studio works with an adult student on the pottery wheel.,
