When I was 15...

"Pine Creek Fall" 9 x 12 in.

It was my high school art teacher who really got me into painting.  He was a cool laid back kind of hippy guy who really let his students paint what they wanted.  He would provide instructional support as needed but he let us express ourselves and didn't try to guide us in any particular direction.

I was 15 at the time and all I wanted to do was paint landscapes and boats.  I remember one class period he had asked representatives from an art school in Seattle to come visit us.  I was very interested in attending art school and excited to learn about it.  However, the more I learned about the school the more weary I became.  Finally, I told the lady "Hey, all I really want to do is paint landscapes!" She looked at me with a kind smile and said, "I'm sorry dear, I don't think many art schools do that."  She went on to explain that they mostly focused on graphic design and such.  After she left,
I realized that perhaps art school wasn't a great idea for me.

I'm not sure why more art schools don't focus on the landscape.  Instead, they tend to push students into modern abstraction.  If that's what you like then that's cool but there should be an alternative for young kids like me who simply love the traditional art of landscape painting.