Waldorf School Art project

I was lucky to be invited to instruct for a few sessions at the Waldorf school near COP. I began with drawing basics, shading, value and tone and had them do realistic self portraits. The students then chose a modern artwork to study and recreate. First they draw a scaled up cartoon o sketch paper. This drawing is to be transferred to a painting support.  They lock in the charcoal transfer with thinned burnt sienna and add in the darker values.

In the next sessions the students learn colour mixing and apply colour overtop their locked in and transferred drawings.

They use a big brush and block in the largest coloured shapes keeping in mind the values.

still life with comparative measured proportions

I taught a class Saturday morning on training the eye to see and the hand for drawing a still life by measuring proportions.

Skulls on toned paper

Today in drawing class we worked on one of my favourite techniques for creating representational form and dimensionality using tonal values.  The assignment was given after a demo on how to squint and see the darks apply them, then erase out the lights and to go back building up the forms with adding or taking away material but not relying on line to draw what they see. In no particular order are some of the images I snapped during class and to share with anyone interested or who missed class, you know who you are, hopefully this is helpful ;P

EPISODE 31- Fresh start

It is Thanksgiving week-end and I am thankful for a lot of things and one of those things is that classes have started up, i've able to convert my basement into a work space and I am able to share this latest episode with you.



After my return from Portugal, my camera gear and computer equipment were stolen. I was unable to continue to produce my weekly episodes until I finally gathered enough resources to replace and borrow what I need.



My fresh start includes making some new surfaces to paint on. I use Lead white as the ground on these ones. Check out my process.

MONSTER DRAWING CLUB

Upon my return I decided to begin a daily drawing challenge on instagram with the Dungeon Degenerates Monster drawing Club. I've had a tough time since my return because my gear was stolen from my luggage, then I had a wedding to go to and following all that jet lag and sickness caught up with me. More in the M.I.A. video below.

So here is the list and though I do not draw monsters in particular or have an affinity for the subject matter, its good just to have a kick in the seat of ones pants. So if you are interested in drawing along with me begin where you can. Being ill, some days I didn't feel up to par or particularly motivated, while others helped me pass the time and were inspiring. Here are the sketches from the first week.

I may go back and revisit some of these and add some colour.

Here is the list in my sketchbook as I cross them off the list one by one,  more to come!

Procession

Upon my arrival to Apulia, I am pleasantly greeted with perfect timing of the annual village festival for Senhora da Guia and a procession which I speed up and share with you here:

It's showtime!

My final episode from Lisbon is up on my BRIAN BUNNY BATISTA You tube channel.

In this episode I talk about the Belas-Artes faculty and the shows I participated in. I give a quick tour of the space and show off my studio space and where it is located. I share some photos of the sights I saw around Lisbon and give  a few reasons you may like to come here to visit or do a residency yourself. Then I say farewell to Lisboa.

Sintra

I've been in motion for quite some time. Here is my latest installation of my Portugal Episodes #27 from the high slopes of Sintra where I visit the kitschy Palacio de Pena. Watch below.

"Life is a beach or make my day"

What can I say? I had every intention of going into the studio to work........
but........
four lovely ladies from around the globe invited me to the beach

So.... instead of working I took a day off, did a whole lot of nothing and got horribly sunburned.
the following day I continued work on a new piece the following day that you can see shot in time lapse here.

https://youtu.be/SzTomC0gtWQ

Here are some additional shots from the beach that day.

Video Art!

It's a VIDEO ART BREAK! Going back to my post graduate art roots.During my Belas-Artes residency, I attended 3 workshops centred around a Roland video switcher/mixer. I made some digital work and mixed in analogue with a mosaic effect then layered iteration and then mashed up. I really like how the moving colours and sound turned out which is why there is no narration or introduction this episode. Watch it below. Link here:  https://youtu.be/eAdxUyqJaP0

Episode 24 - "Deep into the blue"

This episode has is introduced  from a cablecar high above the expo '98 grounds. I take off to visit the aquarium Ocenario de Lisboa and a few other sights and sounds. I talk about the colour blue (azul), my references and add tidbits of what i've learned  about Portuguese heritage. Meanwhile my time lapse is working as hard as me and I complete my latest piece for exhibition at the Belas-artes residency in Lisbon this summer. Link to the video by clicking here or watch it below.

My residency is quickly coming to a close. Below are the invitations created for the main as well as the group exhibitions following the completion of the residency at Belas-artes Lisboa.

 After the exhibition my next stop is Apulia, about an hour north of Oporto. I am visiting Martinho Correia as well as to do a little painting for him on a church altarpiece commission. .

Boy in the box

I work diligently on a drawing of a blue figure trapped in Lisbon architecture  at my Faculdade de Belas-Artes residency in Portugal.  That sentence is a mouthful...... (segue) I've been  drinking a lot of coffee, so we begin this episode by taking a quick aside in visual celebration of my current automated coffee machine vice.

https://youtu.be/7xDxqnXE8LQ

For the nerds in my demographic.....
you are right! "Boy in the box"........there is a tiny reference to Corey Hart in there, you can faintly hear it in the background. When I was really young growing up in Surrey BC, we lived in an apartment and I had the top bunk bed, I had a "never surrender" silk tacked to the ceiling, and a spiky haircut to match my musical idols.

Belas-artes Lisboa residency week 1.5

I completed my first blue series drawing. The colour is inspired by the tile work found all around Portugal. I purchased all matter of blues in different materials so I could discover what wold work best. None of which are col-erase, which would probably have been sufficient and I have a huge stack of them back home. Below is my latest episode which offers a glimpse into my thought process and some time lapse of my physical one.

https://youtu.be/UhY1m_qtdzU

My ideas are developing about what I hope to make for this residency, it just seems that time is ticking away quickly. I am managing to keep my focus but there is a full roster with many workshops and assignments between work days. I decided to skip one that did not interest me yesterday in favour of some seeing some sights and visiting the Gulbenkian museum.

It collection was amazing and up lifting.  I revelled in the beauty of decorative arts and traditional collections, that was just what I needed mid week.  I am going to try and get in more museums and take a bit of the pressure off, it is a "working" / "vacation" after all.  Afterward I walked through a park and visited the Estufa Fria  which is an outdoor botanical garden housed in a converted quarry.

Belas-artes Lisboa residency week 1

After getting settled and beginning to navigate around the city of Lisbon. I have two drawings completed that I am fairly happy with. Watch below and see what inspired me and how I developed this "Good Shepherd" drawing.

From Lisbon with Love

I jump right in during my residency at the faculdade de belas-artes da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. There are a ton of plaster casts on the campus which is housed in a converted franciscan monastery. I begin with a graphite drawing on Fabriano paper of a torso I found in the basement, beside the wood shop.

My father was born in Lisbon Portugal, and part of my desire to come to Lisbon is to discover a bit of my families heritage. I don't know much about it or the culture. Growing up I was only exposed every few week-ends with visits to my grandparents. Portuguese was never spoken at home or taught to us. It has made it difficult to communicate since I don't speak or write any Portuguese. But it is nice to blend in a bit and to take in the sights and sounds which may be held deep in my soul waiting to be awakened.

Animate it!

Kids animation camp at ACAD.

I taught a new camp this past week and made a little video of what my 6 boys created during the week, check it out below.

NUPASTEL PORTRAIT PROJECT

Just uploaded my latest episode where I use a mateial new to me that I highly recommend trying out. watch it develop through the magic of time lapse photography.