About Us
Do you want to learn art?
Whatever your skill level, we want to help you surpass your own expectations of what you think you’re capable of — and even learn how to make a sustainable income with it.
Our instructors are professional artists themselves who are well-versed in the most up-to-date information, software, hardware, and techniques used today.
Have a busy life? Whatever schedule you might have right now, you can still start the path to become a professional artist. We have many options available to take our classes in a way that works best for you.
Our courses specifically designed to develop a solid artistic foundation and refined artistic skills. We'll help you move past old habits, and in the process, see clearly.
Jacob is a Toronto-based artist who has worked as a professional illustrator and graphic designer in the entertainment industry - and has recently turned his attention to teaching. He would love nothing more than to help others develop their artistic skills and confidence alongside him!
Excited to help you learn and improve your art skills, Sarah has been a professional artist since 2001 and began teaching in 2006. In 2018, she branched out into teaching online art classes. Her favorite fine art medium is charcoal but she also enjoys digital art programs like Adobe Photoshop and Procreate.
Andalee has over fifteen years of experience in design and marketing, making the switch to education not too long ago. With a solid foundation in teaching fundamentals, graphic design, packaging & stationery design, and social media development, she is a fantastic resource to guide you to becoming a professional artist.
Rachelle refined her art skills at Sheridan College, Max the Mutt College of Animation, and Seneca at York University. She was trained traditionally, with a heavy focus on life drawing, for many years, and is especially passionate about portraiture and drawing human subjects. Join Rachelle in her upcoming classes as she shares her expertise and shows you how you can reach your artistic potential!
Introducing audio instructor Jesse, with over 20 years of experience in music and voiceover recording. Specializing in technical problem-solving and vocal editing, and with a special interest in audio repair and preservation, Jesse brings a unique perspective to modern content creation.
We're so happy to have Nathalie, our dedicated and resourceful assistant. Always approachable and eager to help, Nathalie is the friendly face behind the screen, who you can count on to address any inquiries or concerns you may have.
Jacob is a Toronto-based artist who has worked as a professional illustrator and graphic designer in the entertainment industry - and has recently turned his attention to teaching. He would love nothing more than to help others develop their artistic skills and confidence alongside him!
Excited to help you learn and improve your art skills, Sarah has been a professional artist since 2001 and began teaching in 2006. In 2018, she branched out into teaching online art classes. Her favorite fine art medium is charcoal but she also enjoys digital art programs like Adobe Photoshop and Procreate.
Andalee has over fifteen years of experience in design and marketing, making the switch to education not too long ago. With a solid foundation in teaching fundamentals, graphic design, packaging & stationery design, and social media development, she is a fantastic resource to guide you to becoming a professional artist.
Rachelle refined her art skills at Sheridan College, Max the Mutt College of Animation, and Seneca at York University. She was trained traditionally, with a heavy focus on life drawing, for many years, and is especially passionate about portraiture and drawing human subjects. Join Rachelle in her upcoming classes as she shares her expertise and shows you how you can reach your artistic potential!
Introducing our audio instructor Jesse, with over 20 years of experience in music and voiceover recording. Specializing in technical problem-solving and vocal editing, and with a special interest in audio repair and preservation, Jesse brings a unique perspective to modern content creation.
We're so happy to have Nathalie, our dedicated and resourceful assistant. Always approachable and eager to help, Nathalie is the friendly face behind the screen, who you can count on to address any inquiries or concerns you may have.
Learning and growing with us
If you’re interested in taking art classes, check out what’s currently available in our Student Center, and subscribe to be notified (at the bottom of this page) of our upcoming courses taught by qualified instructors, who also work in the art industry. Do you have a group who want to take customized classes? Let us know what you’re looking for and we may be able to help!
If you would like to become an instructor in our academy, we thank you very much for your interest and would love to hear from you. Please be aware, though, that not all who apply to be an instructor will be accepted. Additionally, we only accept one or two new instructors at a time, and work with them individually to help them get settled in. Sarah has a background with university-level instruction and is committed to supporting each instructor in each of their courses. We value quality over quantity.
To read more about how this academy came to be, scroll down to check out our history!
What we offer Students
In addition to the above-mentioned features, whether you’re straight out of high school, changing careers, or upgrading your skills – our specialized art programs help you build practical job skills that will benefit you throughout your career.
We teach skills in:
- Traditional Fine Art Mediums
- Procreate App
- Clip Studio Paint
- Adobe Photoshop
- Music & Voiceover for Content Creation
- Business and Professionalism for Artists
- Instructional Skills
If you would like to would like a customized instructional program for your team or audience (minimum 10 participants, no max limit), send us a message today! There are several ways this can be arranged, based on your needs, and we have much experience teaching this way.
It's been quite the journey for our academy to get to where it is now.
Scroll down to see how it all came about...
2002July 1, 2002While selling her art locally, Sarah Lindsay (de Jager at the time) began working at Vancouver Island University. In time, she worked in the Teaching and Learning Centre, located on-campus. There, she was able to gain valuable experience in class planning, teaching, hosting educational events, and some other projects funded by BCcampus.- September 12, 2006It was during this time Sarah became a certified as an 'Instructional Skills Workshop' Facilitator and 'Facilitator Development Workshop' Trainer, meaning she could teach others how to teach more effectively, and also began teaching others, on-campus, not only design aspects but also how to use programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and features within the Microsoft Office suite.2006
Sarah's classes ranged in size from 5 - 60 students in attendance. Sarah was also the organizer behind VIU Open Door Week, which invited local schools and the public to sit in on various classes across VIU's 3 campuses, for free.
- 2015June 8, 2015Sarah suffered a severe spine injury, losing function on the left side of her body, and was diagnosed with a degenerative genetic disorder. The pain and damage was so severe she was unable to even hold a pencil for 2 years.
- May 1, 2018Through much work she relearnt how to draw all over again, and eased out a frustrating tremor caused by nerve damage. Though her condition is permanent, she wanted to share what she learnt about both physically creating art and intellectually creating it. Sarah can never return to working in the way she did previously, so instead she decided to teach art online, using what she learnt. This was how the Golden Ratio Academy came to be.2018
- 2021June 4, 2021In 2021, she joined the Ode 2 Art Academy's list of instructors, teaching some of their unique digital art courses live over Zoom.
- October 1, 2022In late 2022, the Golden Ratio Academy online teaching platform opened up to welcome additional online art instructors! We're so excited to be working alongside these talented artists and can't wait for what's to come in the years ahead!2022
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Are you interested in becoming a student?
... or know someone who might be?
Check out what’s available in our Student Center. If you would like to stay updated on what’s coming up, please sign up below!
