From Academic Art to Community Teaching
I wasn't planning to become a teacher. Back in 2010, I graduated from the Latvian Academy of Art with a degree in illustration — specifically focused on natural sciences documentation. Spent the next five years doing freelance botanical illustration work for academic publications. It was detailed, precise work. Exactly what I'd trained for.
But something shifted around 2013. I was working on a project documenting Latvian wildflowers, and I started getting messages from people who'd seen my work. They'd say things like "I wish I could draw like that" or "I'm not creative enough for art." That stuck with me. Because here's the thing — I'm not naturally talented. I'm just someone who learned how to observe things carefully and translate that onto paper. That's a skill. And skills can be taught.
So in 2014, I started a small beginner sketching workshop in Rīga. Just 8 people in a borrowed studio space. The goal was simple: show people that drawing isn't magic, it's just practice. We'd start with basic pencil control. Move through proportions and light. Eventually get to charcoal techniques and botanical studies. I wanted everyone to feel like they'd actually learned something real, not just had a nice time.
That workshop grew. People brought friends. By 2016, we'd expanded to two locations. Then we added a class in Liepāja. Over the past decade, I've trained more than 200 students — ages 18 to 70, ranging from complete beginners to people picking it back up after years away. We're now based at bulksnail SIA, where I work as Senior Drawing Instructor.
The best part? Watching someone go from "I can't draw" to actually producing a charcoal portrait they're proud of. That moment when they realize their hand can do what their brain imagined. That's why I do this.
