Saturday, December 24, 2011

Creative Play


This week we did come creative play in the art classes of The Renaissance Art Gallery. Without warning or preparation, the classes were invited to simply play with media.
 
Using the December 2011 creative project of mixed media-line on about.com/paintings site Marion's Painting Blog, each person was to choose at least 2 mediums to use, one wet, one dry. Mixed Media Project



Among the wet medium to choose from was watercolor, acrylics and coffee. Mixing in some dark coffee added a lot to the experience.

Loading the table with papers, pens, paints, charcoal, etc. each student was able to pick and choose things, to simply play with media.
 
Interesting, none of my students did anything like what I expected.

The resulting pieces were extremely interesting.

One student took me at my word to explore the paper itself.

After using watercolor pencils to draw a tree, she then took textured pastel paper, tearing it to bits to cover the tree trunk with texture.

Unhappy with the over color, she used coffee on a cotton swap to add shading and character to the drawing.  Then used the cotton swap to add bushes and distant hills. Watercolor and ink added twigs to the branches as well as a few brown leaves, and grasses.

Another sketched out a classic nude, then used watercolor to suggest background, adding texture and shading to the figure with conte’.

Even crayons were used, as both color and a resist for watercolor washes.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Why We Make Art

This is something we artists often talk about. We can talk about it for hours and hours. I have my own thoughts on it.

Helen South, About.com/drawing&Sketching guide has written a long and thoughtful article this week for her weekly newsletter/blog that I thought was worth reading.


For me, making art is simply a part of being human. All cultures, all peoples have the "arts" in some form. Even the most "primative" (and I use that word loosely) create art. If they have nothing else to be creative on, they decorate and create what is to their eyes, beauty on themselves.

It is as if being able to create and appreciate art is one of the definitions of Human.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Miniature Show is Over

It seems like I was planning forever. But the 11th Annual National Miniature Show ends Monday. After that it is time to take down, make sure those paintings that sold, and there were a lot of them this year, get to their rightful owners, and the rest returned to the artists.

For the last 6 weeks I have done little but teach my classes and take people through the show.

But all the work was worth it. Now I can relax, at least for a month!

then come January, the planning starts on next years shows!




But until then I have time to work on my own art. And decide what direction it will take.

I want to take the time to do a few of the painting project on about.com/painting, especially this month’s mixed media project.

I had not been very interested in mixed media in the past, but now that I have gained experience and insight into more media, the thought of combining them is more welcoming.

I also want to explore supports more, like film, velum and parchment.  

Now is the right time to stop and reflect on where I have been to see where I have to go.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Renaissance Gallery Art: Debbie Shirley

Renaissance Gallery Art: Debbie Shirley: Boxford, MA Debbie is an accomplished miniaturist. The detail shown in “ Bountiful ” certainly shows mastery of her medium. The fruit of ...

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Renaissance Gallery Art: Lenore Long Lancaster-Miniature Entrant

Here is a great example of an expert with colored pencil!

Renaissance Gallery Art: Lenore Long Lancaster-Miniature Entrant: Lenore Long Lancaster, Lenore is from Ridgeley, WV Lenore is working in colored pencil, a medium I have come to adore. It takes wor...

Friday, December 2, 2011

Renaissance Gallery Art: Debi Davis

Renaissance Gallery Art: Debi Davis: Take-off in graphite by Debi M. Davis Raleigh, NC To so may people, artists included, pencil drawings are just for preliminary art....

Renaissance Gallery Art: Judith E Bayes and Pears

Renaissance Gallery Art: Judith E Bayes and Pears: Judith E Bayes Treasure Island, FL What is it about a pear that intrigues artists? We all seem to be drawn to them. They are the funda...