You want to go to college for art, you know that you need to put an art portfolio together (  you’re crossing your fingers that it might even earn you some scholarship money), but you have no idea what to include. You’re feeling overwhelmed and lost and just want someone to tell you what to do.

You’re looking through college applications and trying to understand what they want?

• What do you need to include in your portfolio?
• Is your artist statement any good? Is it even an artist statement?
• Does your personal essay grab the reader’s attention?

I ( Amber Kane) teach AP Drawing, AP 2D Design, and AP Art History, with 15 years of experience working as a high school teacher, as well as experience in higher education. As an artist, I’ve run my own gallery, sold at high-end shows like New York NOW, and currently work as an illustrator for Reading Tree Publishing. Filling out college applications, gathering recommendation letters, submitting financial aid paperwork, and pulling together an art portfolio can be overwhelming. You want to be sure that you put your best foot forward, but have spent so much time looking at your art, that you’re not sure if you like any of it anymore.

Let me help you.

• Do you love spending time creating, drawing, and or designing?
• Do you want to improve your skills as an artist?
• Are you thinking about going to college to study art?
• Are you dreaming of a career as an artist?

Amber specializes in:

1. Ensuring that students understand what the requirements of an AP portfolio are.
2. Guiding students through the process of developing a sustained investigation topic, and using that to guide the work that they create.
3. Supporting and pushing students to develop ideas and connect their ideas to the materials and processes that they use.
4. Ensuring that students understand how to document their process and work in a way that aligns with their style and the materials and tools they have access to.
5. Supporting students through the process of writing about their ideas.
6. Helping students develop their understanding of how to build a composition.
7. Introducing students to the concept of aesthetics and visual communication and helping them to apply those ideas in the work that they create.

Art mentorships are for…

Students who are entering grades 10-12, are motivated and have the desire to push their artwork to the next level through developing their skills in ideation, aesthetics, and visual communication. The program is good for students who enjoy online learning, and have a desire to develop their artistic skills through ideation, visual communication, and documentation. The program is 100% online, so as long as you have a strong internet connection, you’ll be good to go.

Feedback and Support

Receiving feedback is one of the best and fastest ways to grow. You’ll receive written or video-recorded feedback on your work. The feedback is there to help you uncover the next steps, learn new skills and techniques, overcome creative blocks, and so much more.

The mentorship program is designed to help to build your skills, and confidence, and help you to be better prepared for your creative future.

I’m both a teacher and a working artist, which allows me to approach art from both sides of the coin. I’ve always firmly believed that you should practice what you preach, so I’m both a teacher and a working artist. My medium of choice is textiles ( technique weaving), however, I have a background in a wide range of materials and techniques, and currently spend most of my creative time illustrating children’s books. I’ve taught high school art, in one way or another, online and in person, for the past 15 years. I’ve taught jewelry/metals, darkroom, digital photography, drawing, and sculpture, along with 3 AP courses.  

1:1 Support. 

• After your application is reviewed, we’ll determine the timeline. Mentorships are for 1-3 months to start with the option to extend.
• We’ll meet to create an individualized goal and learning plan to meet your needs and goals for the year. That might include goals around completing college applications, portfolios, and scholarship submissions. Or you might have a broader focus of wanting to grow your creative thinking ability and communicate through visual arts.
• We’ll keep all of your ideas and work organized in Google Classroom.
• 1:1 video calls to problem solve and receive feedback.

How to apply

There are only 6 openings, and I want to make sure that I can meet your needs. If you are interested in a 1:1 mentorship with me, please email (amberkane1314@hotmail.com) with the following information. Applications for this round are due by Jan 15th, 2024. Subject Line: Mentorship Interest Questions to answer: 

1. Why are you interested in a mentorship with me? What are 3 things that you hope to get out of it?
2. Please share 3-6 examples of work that you’ve created in the last two years that you’re proud of.
3. What is one thing that you think that I should know about you?
4. What is one question that you have for me?
5. Have you ever taken online classes or had an online mentorship before?
6. What time zone are you in?

Once I review your work and understand your goals, we’ll develop a plan that best meets your needs and discuss pricing.