Using plainair as a form of artistic competence development method in to-be teachers of fine arts

This paper attempts to draw pedagogues' attention to an important form of future teachers' education, namely, to summer practice. The relevance of the topic cannot be doubted, as education influences major aspects of the personality formation, expression and self-expression. The paper emphasizes the importance of a human being's contact with nature for the spiritual nobility of his/her personality. This is proved not only by the history of fine arts itself, but also by the sciences analyzing it, namely esthetics, philosophy of arts, history of arts, etc. In the arts pedagogy this sphere is still an inexhaustible incentive for spiritual growth and a source of esthetic education. Future teachers of fine arts trained at VPU for a number of years, have had an opportunity of contacting with nature already. Third year B A students have a mandetary summer practice, drawing and painting in plainair. Popularity of this practice is evident, however, no significant analysis has been made of this important artistic activity in pedagogical literature. Thus the aim of this paper is an attempt to substantiate summer practice as an educational form of future teachers of fine arts, as it foster their professional, esthetic and spiritual development. Plainair conditions and methods achieving this important aim are described, their importance for the development of students' technical mastery and dissemination of their artistic expression have been identified in the paper. Summing up the originality of summer practice as an educational form of future teachers of fine arts it is claimed that the feeling of amazement arises on the basis of experiencing contrasting impressions. This feeling fosters a strive for mastering technical issues, and provides possibilities of the development of artistic feeling. The paper also emphasizes the influence of comparison of natural and human-adjusted environment, observation and evaluation of personality developmentVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŠvietimo akademij