The start of the school year has me incredibly busy. I haven't forgotten about you dear readers of my blog. I have been drawing, painting, cleaning and teaching everyday as well. everyday. No days off, no rest for the wicked. Unless of course the wicked gets sick, which happened last weekend during Thanksgiving so that was my break, in bed then volunteering at the QAS Log drivers Waltz. Heres a peek into a bit of what I've got going on.
At my last figure sessions I first did a painting I didn't like so I scraped it down, the following week I decided I was better off studying the form through darks and lights rather than sticky colour. Heres a few of the steps in drawing Neema last session on Wednesday night.
My classes are running every day of the week at Atelier Artista (atelierartista.com) Its not too late to join in if you'd like to take the remaining classes until the holidays let me know and come on down.
On Tuesday afternoons I have Colour in Theory and Practice. We finished values, temperature and colour mixing and are now venturing into understanding and using colour harmonies.
On Wednesdays we do portrait drawing and painting and have begun the first stages of blocking in our self portraits.
Its all about the light and dark and beginning with a good likeness. Next comes colour and form enhancements.
On Thursdays We have classical drawing in the morning and are currently studying some of Bargues method.
In the afternoon on Thursdays, I give a lecture and demo in my "painting secrets of the masters" class.
On Fridays we study Anatomy and more in Full figure. Ive worked out some theories on how to be both effective and efficient. After this class, I head on up to Waldorf to teach teens. On the week-ends I have two classes at ACAD and on Sundays I often have samplers at Swintons.
But wait.......there is more.... there is always more...
Created a variety of poster Designs for the fall semester at Atelier Artista. I just sent my files off to the Printers cant wait to start passing them out. Take a look:
11 X 17 posters for the various art stores, Swinton's , Sunnyside and more.
Here is a weird size 12 X 24 for the signage outside the studio.
Postcards for those who want to carry the information away with them.
Website currently updating in process.
Google calendar updated until 2018.
I'm often asked how I always keep so many things on the go and that I'm a man of many hats. Indeed, I keep the ball rolling in many courts, but I also try to keep it fun. Maybe I'm just a crazy workaholic. Maybe its that I'm doing what I love. You see for yourself in this monumental goal reaching Episode 50!
I'm glad to be back. The very next morning after my return I opened the atelier and we got back down to business. There are warm and fond memories to revisit, pictures to go through, unpacking to do and a whole lot more. As they say "No rest for the wicked".
These feet did a lot of walking, it was hilly, so I bought myself these nifty boots. The entire trip my hands kept busy, I sketched, painted watercolour and gouache and saw many sights. My mouth tasting the culinary favourites of the region. My ears listened to the cacophony of the busy streets and battling Mariachi bands in the plaza. There is much to tell and share, but it will have to arrive in its own time. For now back to the Atelier!
Listen to this! We started the portrait class with the study of the ear and why? we have to draw it that way. I did a quick demo after anatomical notes on the board. I gave each student a reference photo to study and transmit onto their paper.
After the portrait drawng class we moved into the afternoon portrait painting portion where we continued our study f the ear. In this session we painted in the skin tones based on what we drew previously. We roughed in colour an defined.
The following day in Still life/object studies we learned to draw bone texture with two skulls I borrowed from the decor of my house.
I did a demo of finding dark shapes and some lights on toned ground.
The students did great work describing the forms in their own styles. After a short break we moved into paint studies and how to mix warm and cool grey tones and how to lay them in for the skull study.
We scraped back our work after the lesson ready for another painting session anther day.
We also have a new studio assistant, on loan from JJ peters. Thanks to her sleuthing skills we have a full sized skeleton in questionable condition to work with. That was just the first two days back!
Humbled, sitting on the floor of my studio, bringing you episode 45 sweat equity. I want to give a glimpse behind the scenes of what it makes to make the show go. It has been my first month in operation with paying students and it is going really well. I’ve seen the growth and achievements of my students already using my teaching methods. Hard work and discipline as well as focused study are the name of the game. Having goals in mind in which you aim to achieve will help you attain them. You can’t just walk through the doors of the atelier and take an art class, thinking that you are going to walk out a Michelangelo. We are in fact our own worst critics. There is a lot of mental play going on. We need to train the eye. I don’t think so much that I am an art teacher in terms of technical skill and craft but a teacher who teachers people how to see.
You can’t know what you don’t know, its my job as teacher to guide you to help lift the veil and introduce new ways of seeing things differently. It is up to you to continue to develop, to show up and do the work. I can’t make your art for you, only you can. And through time and with diligence you will arrive to where you are going and afterward you will definitely have a whole new vision for what is possible and I assure you, you will get there more quickly than you expect if you continue to work out and once there you will not believe the doors that open up to you creatively. In regards to the future, it was bill gates who stated:
We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don't let yourself be lulled into inaction.
I often use the metaphor of a gym when explaining the curriculum at the atelier. We come to work out our eye hand and brain muscles as we continue to strengthen our skills. This is where your sweat equity pays off. Artists tend to not think like athletes but we should, thats the way to achieving that gold medal and creative success.
In terms of my efforts, Im still working every single day of the week. I feel like a one man army, teaching, making these videos, updating the website and blog. I need to plan and prep my classes. Most nights I work at ACAD or QAS. I am at the atelier at 8 am and I usually don’t get home until later than 10:30 or 11 at night. Thats a long day but Im doing what I love, building my dream and passionately creating, teaching and living all the while. Some week-ends Im at Swintons doing samplers. They say all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Im anything but dull.
You may get some inkling of the real deal by now. Im here a lot and a big part of my job is being a great host and mostly humbly mopping the floors. Its not all glamour but when it is like last Friday when I offered my space to host the Peoples portrait prize party and it was a huge hit!
My students and I showed work and my pal Cosmic Lurkn spun tunes, Danielle (another non drinker) served up the beers and at the end I cleaned up throughout the night. I was beat by the end but I’m glad I did it on behalf of all those artists who exhibited and the organizers involved in putting it on. I like big clean spaces, After another mopping session I look forward to the next event, another opportunity to have a great time in the temple of creativity I’ve built. Keep posted and next time join me won’t you?
