Art has always been an important part of Elias Lemus Cancino’s life. Now, as an art teacher at Omaha South High School, he helps students learn and enjoy art the same way he did growing up.
“I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember,” Lemus Cancino said. “My mom told me that since I was 2 years old, I would just draw.”
Some of his earliest memories of art come from school, where teachers noticed his talent. Art also helped him relax and clear his mind. “It was kind of meditative,” he said. “As a kid, it was more like a time to zone out and be in my own head a little bit.”
Lemus Cancino has worked as a professional artist, but he eventually sought a more stable career. While he has created murals and portraits and knows it is possible to make money from art, he noted that the lifestyle can be risky.
“You can make a lot of money in a few months, but then go months without a job,” he said.
He also researched animation but decided against it because of the grueling schedule. “The 12- to 16-hour days seemed like too much,” he said. Teaching provided him more balance and time outside of work.
At Omaha South, Lemus Cancino said his favorite subjects to teach are drawing and painting because they are the basics of art. “They’re the foundation of everything else,” he said.
To help students find their own art style, he focuses on teaching the fundamentals first. “If you have good foundational skills, you can do whatever you want, and that’s where style comes from,” he said.
Cancino believes anyone can improve at art with enough practice.
“Anyone who is willing to put in the practice can be good at art,” he said.
One challenge he faces as a teacher is when students are afraid to struggle. “Sometimes students don’t want to do the work or feel OK with struggling,” he said.
For students who think they lack talent, Lemus Cancino has simple advice: “If you’re doing art just for fun, don’t worry about being good. Just enjoy it.”
For students who want to improve, he said practice matters most. “Focus on the foundational skills and keep practicing,” he said. “That’s what makes you better.”
