I have a simple belief that the goal of learning to draw and paint is attainable by anyone who is willing to pursue it. It is as accessible as learning to write, or play a musical instrument. Students should be given the tools to fully express all they see and feel. These days, beginning artists have been told that the tools themselves inhibit ones uniqueness or self-expression. I believe that they enable one to fully express their vision without being hampered by a lack of education.
Traditional skills are necessary for developing a foundational base for the artist to work from.
It is craftsmanship that is the foundation of self-expression, not the lack of it. Conversely, being creative without knowledge is like trying to decorate a structurally unsound building. It just does not make sense. I have spent a long time trying to piece together bits of our artistic heritage that have been lost. Lots of different schools have fragments of the necessary tools for picture making, but none seem to pull it all together.