Coaching

Introduction

Against a backdrop of artists seeking to gain or wishing to maintain a prominent profile, alongside the expectations for producing high-quality work, plus the demands for increased levels of production; it is not surprising we might find ourselves seeking some external professional support or coaching to help review, realign and refresh thoughts and practises.

Coaching is very common in professional sports science, from technical analyst to sports management through to a personal trainer, but it is less common in the arts. The overall intention with coaching in art practise is, through regular correspondence, for the coach to help curate the conditions to bring out the very best standards, techniques and conceptual development in the artist that potentially leads to seminal works of art for the artist and their audience.

The Professional Support/Advisory Service is directed towards working artists that would benefit from a confidential one-to-one empathetic discussion to help negotiate and overcome a current challenge in their working life. This might require only one single meeting or a bespoke timetable of meetings to address a particular need . The Coaching Programme is more structured, it provides a complete holistic review of current studio and working practises, in addition to how studio management and technical processes enables the pursuit of conceptual ideas, alongside the aspiration to regularly exhibit and develop audiences.

  • First, I provide a free 30 minute online diagnostic consultation to help you outline your current challenge and explore how an external support/advisory service can lead to possible solutions.

    The relationship ethos is artist-to-artist, peer-to-peer. A request for a meeting(s) can be made after the initial free consultation if you feel there is a need to discuss in greater depth the challenges being faced and how they might be overcome.

    Challenges might take the form of time and studio management towards a particular project whilst also negotiating other work or personal commitments. Other challenges might take the form of managing personal expectations, overcoming creative conceptual and technical deadlock, or drafting an accessible narrative to frame a series of work. I can also provide professional consultation on applications for an exhibition or for an open call, as well as art funding applications or reviewing a current CV. 

    The fee for the Professional Support/Advisory Service is 50 euros per hour which also includes a written summary after each meeting.

  • First, I provide a free 30 minute online diagnostic consultation to help you outline current challenges and explore how the Coaching Programme may be of benefit. 

    The relationship ethos is artist-to-artist, peer-to-peer.

    The Coaching Programme is for working artists who already have an established studio practice, but would benefit from a granular review of current practises and working conditions. The programme provides regular support and constructive feedback for a period of 12 months, however, shorter periods of time can also be negotiated. The programme has three phases with a suggested timeline, the phases will naturally overlap but the intention is to follow the programme sequentially. The aim is always to encourage deep self-reflection and optimisation towards achieving  personal best, which is underpinned by constructive suggestive comments to help you review working patterns relating to the holistic elements of your work and the working environment.

    The fee for the Coaching Programme is 600 euros for 10 one-to-one online meetings that includes a written summary after each meeting and a detailed summary at the end of each phase.

  • Coaching Phase 1: Studio Organisation

    (suggested two meetings)

    A granular review of your current working studio conditions and stewardship. To include but not limited to: the organisation and management of materials, paint brands and types of brushes, palette, working and presentation surfaces, lighting options, location and access.

  • Coaching Phase 2: Technical Approaches and Performance

    (suggested four meetings)

    Approaches to drawing and painting skills, to include but not limited to: types of paint surfaces, scale, format, compositional methods, analysis of the ‘performative’ aspects of painting and drawing techniques, viscosity of paint, colour relationships, sensory-haptic awareness with work-in-progress.

    The later part of Phase 2 centres upon ideas for producing a significant piece of work(s) in Phase 3.

  • Coaching Phase 3: Creative-Conceptual Content

    (suggested four meetings)

    A review of how the first two phases enable the development or realignment of creative-conceptual content of your work establishing a coherent whole. In this phase we discuss the development and ongoing production of a significant piece of work(s) consulted upon during Phase 2.

    Laterly there is a review of the narrative of your work and personal bio that may underpin an artist statement, applications for exhibition or social media profile.  

Stephen

I have exhibited my work widely across North America, Asia and Europe, as an individual artist and in artist collaborations. I completed a three-month art residency in Seoul, south Korea (2007) and in the installation art collaboration Dutton and Swindells we had exhibitions in Toronto, Reno, Tiawan, Seoul, Bangkok and Singapore, as well as London, Belfast and Amsterdam.

As an individual artist I have also exhibited my work in municipal, public-sector galleries. All this gave me experience of working with gallery directors, curators and gallery/museum staff. I have also been a successful recipient of two large UK Arts Council funding applications of £23,500 and £82,000.

I was awarded a first-class honours degree in Fine Art from Sheffield Polytechnic in 1990, a MA in Painting from Manchester School of Arts in 1994 and I completed a practice-led PhD on Art and Citizenship from Sheffield Hallam University in 2004.

During my previous career as a Professor of Creative Practise I was a Director of Research, supporting and advising colleagues on narrating their art practice in context to theoretical models, in addition to providing support to make large external funding bids. I also Lead Supervised seven practice-led PhD’s to successful completion, and numerous other PhD’s as a Second Supervisor, and I was also an external examiner for a number of PhD’s. I also provided consultancy on cultural leadership and public engagement in the arts for non-for-profit arts organisations. Please see my CV at stephenswindells.com (available March 2025)