Today we’d like to introduce you to Cody Wheelock.
Hi Cody, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
To start with, I was always the “art kid” growing up. I loved to draw cartoon characters and would often create little “books” telling a story that I illustrated. I received a lot of positive reinforcement about my work and that helped fuel me to get better. In middle school, I ran across a book called “How to Draw Life-Like Portraits From Photographs” by artist Lee Hammond. Up until that point I had not tried to draw something “realistic”; I gave it a shot and was surprised by how good it was. I showed my family and they were shocked, encouraging me to do more. As I practiced, I got better and better and by the time I was in 7th and 8th grade, I was selling portrait commissions to people in the community.
This continued and as I went through high school, I knew that art was something I wanted to study. Although I wanted to be a fine art major in college, I decided to study art education as this gave me a more solid career path. I took all the studio arts classes I could while in college and fell in love with the practice of oil painting. Soon after I finished my undergraduate degree I enrolled in a Master of Arts program at Boston University, studying art education and graduating in 2010.
As I settled into a career as a high school art instructor, I continued to do private work for clients and exhibitions on the side. Over time I began to get more and more interested in classical methods of art education and dove deep into the academic “atelier” method prevalent in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. I adapted parts of this teaching method and incorporated it into my high school classes, leading to great results for my students. As my teaching career progressed, I started to receive more and more commissions, entered more exhibitions, and started to teach both adults and teens privately on the side. In 2019 my family and I decided to step aside as a full-time high school instructor to focus on my own artwork and teaching privately.
We moved from Omaha, Nebraska to Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and opened a studio, Fount Atelier of Fine Art, in November of 2019. At Fount Atelier I specialize in teaching classical drawing and painting methods using a traditional approach, incorporating a hybrid online/in-person instructional method called “flipped-instruction”. Students meet weekly and progress through a curriculum I developed called the “Core Program”, a sequential program taking students from the absolute basics of drawing up through advanced studio painting. In addition to teaching, I continue to do commissioned work for both corporate and private clients and my own original work for exhibitions. I currently reside in Lee’s Summit with my wife, Laura, and my children Alana and Asher.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges I faced, along with everyone else, was the COVID-19 pandemic. I opened my studio in November 2019 and the pandemic took hold in March of 2020. Having recently moved to the area I didn’t really have time to get established and make connections with the community. Fortunately, I had already enrolled some students, and thanks to my online/in-person style of instruction we were able to continue classes virtually. In the summer of 2020, I re-opened my studio space to students. This past summer I have really seen a lot of growth as people become vaccinated and am excited to be back on track.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As for my own work, I specialize in classical drawing and oil painting. I paint all subject matter but my favorite subjects to paint are landscapes and figures/portraits. I grew up in a family of outdoors enthusiasts and was a constantly fishing, camping, and exploring as a kid. That has informed my artwork today as I love getting outside with my plein air gear and painting landscapes in the fresh air. In my current work, I enjoy exploring the relationship between man and nature, often incorporating them both into pieces.
Teaching-wise, my classes focus on teaching classical drawing and oil painting skills. We generally follow the academic approach, which means we start with the basics of graphite drawing and then progress into charcoal, grisaille oil painting, and eventually full-color oil painting. This sequenced approach works great as it gradually builds a student’s skill level without overwhelming them. Each new concept we discuss builds on previous concepts. This is especially helpful to those who are intimidated with the prospect of learning how to draw/paint as it allows them to see tangible results in their work fairly quickly. As students build skill, we start to also discuss compositional considerations and begin to build a portfolio of original work based around each student’s individual interests. Since most of the instructional content and demonstrations are believed online, it allows us to focus on the hands-on work in the studio. This “flipped” approach means that students can work through the program at their own pace; they don’t need to feel rushed by others or held back. It also makes the program very flexible, fitting into even very busy schedules.
My students run the spectrum of complete beginners to those who have attended an art school and are looking to develop their skills even further. I have classes specifically for kids in the 9-12 age range as well as my teen and adult program starting with students 13 and older. Since I don’t have different classes for teens vs. adults, I often time have a class with a 15-year-old and a 70-year-old in the same session. We have a lot of fun learning from each other and it provides a unique inter-generational experience, one that I feel we could use more of.
The thing that sets me apart from others is that my program offers a sequential, comprehensive approach to learning to drawn and paint. The flexibility of the program has been a hit with students of all ages. The most rewarding part is seeing the results my students get; even those that don’t think they have any “talent” are amazed at what they are capable of. By learning some fundamentals and developing skills in the right way students can do incredible things. I always tell my students that I only need two things from them: 1 – they need to have a positive attitude and be motivated, and 2- they need to be coachable and willing to try new things. If they can do that, I’ll take care of the rest.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
The best thing people can do who are interested in learning more is to visit my website, www.fountatelier.com. There they can learn more about my classes, see artwork examples from students, get a feel for the curriculum, and even see some examples of my work.
I also have an open invitation for anyone who would like to visit the studio and learn more about the program; they can feel free to email me at [email protected] to schedule a visit.
For anyone who is interested in discussing a possible commission, please email me at [email protected] for more information.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.fountatelier.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/fountatelier
- Facebook: Facebook.com/fountatelier
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5KrZAerPukkNOtMiGM1D_Q
