The Art School in Sandy Springs

EXCEPTIONAL ART TALK AT ANNE IRWIN'S - THE MCCAWS THREE

2011-10-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

Dan McCaw and his sons, John and Danny, are on exhibit at Anne Irwin's new gallery this month. I feel so privileged to have attended the opening Friday night and also an artists' talk on Saturday morning.

I really appreciate it when artists use analogies when speaking because I can retain information better when there is only an hour or two to gather information. I rarely take notes because I know I will miss something important, so this is a very helpful teaching tool.

I am going to try to share what "I" heard during the art talk. I found all three to be honest, genuine and giving.

Dan shared the aspect of validation or loss of validation which stems early in life either from a parent, often times the mother, classmates, peers, etc., and how throughout one's lifetime the self is formed by this. When creativity is squashed by the lack of validation, then it remains so until the individual is either able to or decides to let it out.

He also discussed "fear" at length. My take home message was that there were three ways in which to deal with fear. 1. Run from it, 2. Fight it, or 3. Freeze. Interestingly...true.

And he mentioned a poem that said something to the effect that "The longer you keep your hand in the fire, a flower may soon blossom." My take home message was that although you may endure some difficulties and trials along the way, something positive may eventually come.

Lastly, every one's perception is different. Dan recalled a time when he and his sons were on a city street photographing material. While he was taking shots at the buildings, his eldest son, John, was looking at the cement walk. What may be of interest to one is different for the other.

John's love of simple shapes and the more organic source of information is revealed in his more abstract work. His love of anthropology guides his work as does view from a different perspective - the cracks and colors in a cement sidewalk.

Danny's work appears more graphic in nature and allows simple geometric shapes and strong contrast to be the focus of his work.

The four aspects of hue, value, shape and intensity are considered in their work, as well as, the play of warm with cool, dark and light contrast and the lack of facial definition so that the viewer can decide and relate to who the "who" is in the painting.

Last, but not least...COLOR - their play with color, its intensity, contrast, how they allow the brush to move color on the canvas. Masterful!

Wonderful exhibit, wonderful stories - exquisite work! Take a peek before the show closes!!!

CLASSES STARTED THIS WEEK!

2011-09-17T05:58:00.001-07:00

This is a thirty minute study done by Donna Thomas in Gary Weiss' Friday morning class. He has been teaching at the school and is one of the easiest instructors from which to learn the concept of shape, gesture, form shadow, cast shadows, etc. After a few hints from what he taught her in the spring, this was the result. She started with boxes, rectangles and simple shapes. From there, detail was added.

Check out his web site Gary Weiss.

SUMMER OFF!!

2011-07-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

The teachers are getting a summer holiday and will be back the week of September 12th! I, thus, decided to study with a portrait artist from Buford, Ga, Connie Reilly. I have for many years admired her work. Having the school closed gave me the chance to jump on this. I have to thank Gary Weiss immensely for getting me to a point that I really did begin to "see" things. And, Connie is helping me see, too!

Above is my first study done the morning of my first class. I have to admit that I am ALWAYS a bit nervous at first when attempting to do a portrait study and it takes at least an hour for me to wind down.

After settling in and after we all enjoyed lunch together, this is my second portrait study. Although Connie did help me with the elliptical shape of the iris and pupil, I think I felt more successful - calmer, more in control, steadier and slower. Of note is the value of light in the shadow area of the neck as it compares to the highlight areas in the face.

Thank you Annie Jefferson for being such a great model!!!

I had a great time!!!!

See you all in the fall!!! Have a great holiday!

Donna Thomas

SIX WEEK CLASSES WILL RESUME SEPTEMBER 12th

2011-07-06T12:57:00.001-07:00

We are essentially closed for the summer and will reopen our doors for the final series of six week classes on Monday, September 12th. The studio is available for individual or group rental at $10/day. Please email dthomas555@aol.com 24 hours in advance to learn of availability for use.

Take a look at our upcoming fall schedule - lots to choose from, lots to learn, lots of new faces. Registration has already begun for some classes and they are filled on a first come, first serve basis. We have several new teachers and some returning...so join us!

Also, fall workshops include Gary Bodner, Katharine Cartwright, Tim Horn (California), Suzanne Hughes Sullivan, Brenda Hope Zappitell.

Six week class schedule:

HOW TO CREATE AN EXPRESSIVE LANDSCAPE ($195) John Guersney
MON 9:30 - 12:30 All Levels
ACRYLIC AND MIXED MEDIA TECHNIQUES
($195) Stuart Fleishman
MON 1:00 - 4:00 All levels
STILL LIFE - ALLA PRIMA ($195) Millie Gosch
TUES 9:30 - 12:30 All Levels
PORTRAIT STUDY WITH NANCY DUSENBERRY ($195) Nancy Dusenberry
TUES 1:00 - 4:00 All Levels
SELF CRITIQUE, NEW METHODS AND DRAMATIC FINISHES ($195) Donna Thomas
WED 9:30 - 12:30 Intermediate/Advanced Levels (Oil or Acrylic)
THE FIGURE IN PASTELS ($195) Evelyn Breit
WED 1:00 - 4:00 All Levels (*Model fee applies)
AFRAID TO PAINT...WHERE TO BEGIN? ($195) Christine Bray
THURS 9:30 - 12:30 Beginners in oil painting
DRAWING CLASS ($195) Catherine Anne Moore
THURS 1:00 - 4:00 All Levels (*Model fee applies)
THE CLOTHED FIGURE IN OIL OR CHARCOAL PENCiL ($195)
Gary Weiss
FRI 11:00 - 2:00 Intermediate to advanced (*Model fee applies)

WATERCOLOR FOR ALL LEVELS ($195) Catherine Anne Moore

SAT 12:00 - 3:00

Happy Summer!!!

VISIT TO DENNIS CAMPAY STUDIO - JUNE 25, 2011

2011-06-26T05:15:00.000-07:00

Dennis Campay doing a short demo of his palette knife application of lines.

A thoughtful moment during our two hour visit with Dennis and Colette Campay. A group of us from the school were graciously accepted into their home. Both are so delightful, warm and sharing. Dennis shared his story and spoke to us about the craft of art. He encouraged us to stay true to the craft and if you feel stuck just get back to the basic fundamentals of drawing, shape, form and value.

He discussed his techniques, mediums and materials used, movement throughout his work by using color triangles to guide the viewer throughout his work.

The Campay studio in Avondale.

A few guests, Pat and Ted Plomgren, and Gary Bodner, listening to what Dennis had to say about artists being true to themselves and painting for themselves. He strongly encouraged self expression - study from others, but make it your own. Take home message, do not copy others.

That iconic chair and typewriter which are housed in his studio.

It is always Christmas in the Campay studio. Rhonda Feldman and Beth Stormont pose before two of Dennis' works.

Dennis and Colette Campay bidding us a farewell from their Atlanta home/studio in Avondale.

Dennis described his personal journey throughout his work using icons such as a chair, typewriter, boats, fences that he climbed through in Texas to watch baseball games.

Dennis traveled the world since he was in a military family and his roots are now shared with Colette between their homes in Jacksonville and studio home in Atlanta.

IT'S BEEN THREE MONTHS!!! VISIT WITH DAVID SHEVLINO

2011-06-26T04:58:00.001-07:00

David Shevlino - June Workshop

David studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He stresses clean lights, large mass application, mid tone transitions, brush handling, and we all enjoyed a philosophical discussion about artists in the market, gallery representation, being able to grow as an artist, challenging ourselves to become better painters.

http://paintingperceptions.com/cityscape-painting/david-shevlino

Demo of Sumo Wrestler painting:

http://www.youtube.com/user/davishev#p/u/5/fxQqFVb4NQc

Day 2 Demo - David Shvelino - Study of the figure with warm shadows, mid tone colors to round the form, and brush movement.

Day 1 Demo by David Shevlino - Study of Annie

David stressed the nuances of color shifts in facial planes, angles of paint application and creating a dynamic background.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

2011-03-11T05:43:00.000-08:00

Art establishes and makes tangible a time, a place, a thought, an idea.
Art, properly made, enhances and enriches the lives of others.

Art gives an opportunity to endow new life and meaning into the ordinary.

Art gives an opportunity to design your own world, and as in your children, create a significant immortality.

Art is hard-earned work that is its own reward and has a degree of permanence.

Art, because it's so easy to do, and so difficult to do well, encourages humility in the human soul.

Art is an apprenticeship that can be stretched into a lifelong education.

Art thrives on democratic ideals, freedom of expression and rugged individualism.

Art permits you to step out of the labyrinth and into a quiet corner of your own private joy.

Thank you, Nancy Rounsaville, for sharing the beauty of these words!!!

2011-03-06T14:51:00.001-08:00

Nancy Franke - March Workshop Group - Everyone had such a great time!!!!! There were 16 students in this group and two came to watch the demos each day. The work produced by this group was incredible...what a great inspiration Nancy is to everyone!!!

Nancy Franke - Day 2 Demo - her lovely soft palette. They worked on how to get glass to look like glass.

Nancy Franke does it all - juggles a bottled water and paint brush as she cruises around the room helping everyone with their painting. She helped students see the dark and light in the stems of the flowers as they entered a glass container and also see the beautiful blue light and warm bright light that was reflected in the glass by the light.

ABOUT FINISHES - A QUOTE ABOUT JEREMY LIPKING'S WORK

2011-02-23T02:55:00.000-08:00

What a MASTER!!!

"The magic occurs in the finish. As he progresses, he gradually refines each area, adjusting relationships of color and adding deft touches to define select elements. He brings certain forms to a razor sharp level of finish. Other passages are left vague and undefined. In this interplay of sharp and loose, the painting literally opens up and breathes. This is what makes his art seem so lifelike. Instead of resting as static images, his canvases pulse with the subtle energy of a living thing."

Michael Zakian, Ph.D.
Director
Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art

Pepperdine Unive

see http://www. lipking.com/

BILL DAVIDSON FINISHES A FOUR DAY INTENSIVE

2011-02-22T03:24:00.001-08:00

OPA Signature Member, Bill Davidson, finsishes a four day intensive landscape workshop with sixteen gifted participants. Day one started with 'creating' your own rocks, cliffs and water. Why not start with the tough stuff first??? The group must of been drained because Bill kept them every night until 6:30. Thanks, Bill, for coming!!!

Here are some comments:

"Bill, you are a real taskmaster, BUT good gosh, we learned (or were exposed) to so much!!! Thank you for your time, your explanation of what you are doing on the canvas so we know what's in your head. Looking forward to the next one!!" Sydney S.

"What a great workshop!....I love moving fast through things and being able to cover so much. Thanks so much for loving what you do!" Carol G.

STUDENT BETH STORMONT'S GUITAR STUDY - WEDNESDAY MORNING CLASS

2011-01-13T07:58:00.000-08:00

Beth Stormont did this study in Donna Thomas' Wednesday morning "Personal Projects" class. Wonderful dramatic light with dark background, great execution of hands and guitar. Nicely done, Beth!!!

GARY WEISS - FIGURE DRAWING SIMPLIFIED

2010-10-11T15:46:00.000-07:00

And, finally, when you have done all of the cylinders with curved lines to create volume, softened the contour lines about the cylinders, you begin to create your cast and form shadows. The cast shadows are the hard edge shadows that soften as they move away from the object casting the shadow and the form shadows are SOFT. This was Gary's five minute demo last week to his class on shadows...

GARY WEISS - FIGURE DRAWING SIMPLIFIED

2010-10-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

Note how to line up with tracheal notch with other parts of torso - to umbilicus, nipples. And, the clavicles (collar bones).

GARY WEISS - FIGURE DRAWING SIMPLIFIED

2010-10-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

Drawing reveals cyliner of upper arm, and use of circles and adjoining lines to indicate foreshortening. Rectangles indicate hand, mid-hand and fingers.

GARY WEISS - FIGURE DRAWING SIMPLIFIED

2010-10-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

Note the cylinder of the chest with curved lines to indicate volume. Two circles indicate breasts, a triangle, the pubic area, and the beginning of cylinder of upper legs. Chin rests on chest.

GARY WEISS - FIGURE DRAWING SIMPLIFIED

2010-10-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

Note cylinder of foot, curved lines revealing form. Rectangle suggest toes and curved rectangle for ankle joint with cut-out for lateral malleolus(protruding bone on outside of ankle joint).

GARY WEISS - FIGURE DRAWING SIMPLIFIED

2010-10-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

Cylinders used for both upper and lower legs and direction of curved lines suggesting volume. Added knee joint and calf contour lines.

GARY WEISS - FIGURE DRAWING SIMPLIFIED

2010-10-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

Again, with the use of geometric shapes, Gary creates a finger. Lower image of a pointing finger, although not easily seen, has a larger circle at the base of the finger and smaller circles at the middle and tip of the finger. Lines connect the outer edge of the two circles creating foreshortening. (Connecting lines are softened and reflect contour lines.)

GARY WEISS - FIGURE DRAWING SIMPLIFIED

2010-10-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

I have been studying with Gary Weiss, a teacher at the school, over the past several months and find his teaching style easy to understand with the use of geometry shapes to make the figure make sense. The right image shows the upper and lower arm as two cylindrical shapes with curves in the same direction indicating the volume of the structure. The left image has contour lines used to indicate the curves of the muscle bellies. Note how simple the shape of the hand is made and that it reads "hand".

MARGARET DYER - VALUE STUDY VS. LOCAL COLOR STUDY

2010-10-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

Anne Meinert gets it right with a value study (on right) and then applies value principles with color (left).

MARGARET DYER DAY TWO STUDY

2010-10-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

Note the volume that Sunny Walker has captured in this models figure with light, midtone, and dark values...

MARGARET DYER'S DAY ONE DEMO

2010-10-09T08:53:00.001-07:00

LOOK at the beautiful color values that Margaret has used to create a wonderful study !!!

STUDENT AT WORK - MARGARET DYER WORKSHOP

2010-10-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Suzanne Jackson hard at work studying the model in her intial phase of the sketch.

MARGARET DYER MODEL IN NEW STUDIO

2010-10-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

One of the three models the school had each of the three days in the new studio for larger participant workshops. Room for everyone!

MARGARET DYER WITH MODEL

2010-10-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

Margaret Dyer discussing the day's expectations with one of our models, Irene.

MARGARET DYER PASTEL WORKSHOP

2010-10-09T08:42:00.001-07:00

Get it right before you begin. Use loose grid to get your bearings and or a simple stick for relative measurements.

SCHOOL SPONSORED JURIED SHOWS AT THE GALLERY AT PAPER MILL VILLAGE CLOSES

2010-09-28T15:18:00.001-07:00

A close to a wonderful year ends this Thursday for the juried shows sponsored by the school. The shows were simply fantastic and included the Georgia Photography Exhibit judged by Corinne Adams, the Southeastern Plein Air Exhibit judged by Bill Davidson, the Mixed Media/Collage judged by Kenson Thompson, the Palette Knife Exhibit judged by Angela Nesbit, The Portrait Society of Atlanta 2010 Juried National Exhibit judged by Dawn Whitelaw, the Atlanta Watercolor Exhibit judged by Marie Matthews, the Retro Americana Exhibit judged by Gary Bodner, the Atlanta Equestrian Exhibit judged by Robert Christie, and the Atlanta Pastel Exhibit jduge by Chin-Cheng Hung. Gorgeous works, wonderful judges!!!

Thank you all for participating and supporting this adventure!!!

www.thegalleryatpapermillvillage.com/

MAGGIE SINER - LET"S REALLY TALK COLOR!!!

2010-09-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

Maggie's lesson on COLOR RELATIONSHIPS!!!!! Whoa! Well, you just would have had to have been there...but the MAJOR take home message is RELATIONSHIPS OF COLOR and their DIFFERENCES!! Relationships, relationships, relationships!!!

THE RELATIONSHIPS OF COLOR VALUES - MAGGIE SINER

2010-09-26T15:38:00.001-07:00

Comparing the relationships of colors...values, hue, and intensity...

We first determined the color of what Maggie calls "the largest piece of real estate" on the still life rectangle you chose to paint. You would then peripherally ;look to compare the color value relationship to a color a distance away, not directly adjacent to the area you just laid in. Try that a few times and your head really begins to hurt...it's not squinting... I admit, this was very difficult to do!!! We did this all day on the last day and you would simply be surprised how "off" value relationships can get if you do not follow this to the letter. And, when you tend to "forget" to use your peripheral vision, you get into major trouble with your color value relationships. The workshop was NOT about painting the objects but the color relationships of the subject areas of the still life. The objects will emerge and are dynamic!

The steps one can consider taking are:

1. Find the largest color value, then find your next largest piece of real estate and compare the value. Do this with a third area and compare the first two value colors with the third value color.

2. Find your brightest, lightest value.

3. Find your darkest values and let them merge.

4. Then find your local colors.

5. Do NOT paint objects; paint the color relationships and value. The objects will DANCE around the rectangle of your subject.

THIS IS NOT EASY!!!!!

MAGGIE SINER - WOW!!! WHERE DOES ONE EVEN BEGIN...???

2010-09-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

Small, fit, trim, agile, and a bundle of energy, Maggie Siner jumped around, demonstrating movement within a painting with animated gestures of her hands and self and also how light explodes and travels through the works of masters. You could sense the intention behind these artists and in her own personal, powerful art work and you could feel her excitement for teaching what she feels is crucial to painting! She decided early on to sock it to us feeling we could handle what she had to say and we were all the better for it!!! We spent the weekend learning, yes learning, the basic fundamentals about the relationships of color, how to translate value into color, understanding intensity and saturation, seeing the color of light, the color of shadows, and hearing this eloquent woman speak and share her infinite knowledge, wisdom and humor! Having taught internationally, Maggie has studied and taught on an international level. We were lucky to have her come to Atlanta and have begged her to come again and already a list is forming!!! Dramatic is how I would describe her work and explosively dynamic I would describe her teaching style...she is a MUST for any level learner!!!!

NOT MEANING TO BEAT A DEAD HORSE...(poor use of words since I own and LOVE horses!!!)

2010-09-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

As an additional note to the previous post, here is a letter that one of the students of the school received this week as a result of work she posted on _______.com.

'Good Morning ___________,

We received your letter today and believe you deserve an explanation.

First of all, you were not being singled out for your actions. Our Intellectual Property attorney has filed more than 150 complaints with _______.com regarding improper or unauthorized use of our trademarks. Please understand that we must address trademark and copyright violations or run the risk of losing them to public domain.

This is nothing different than any other owner of a valuable property would do to protect their rights. Examples: If you painted a picture of a "Coke" bottle and titled it "Coca-Cola", you would hear from the Coca-Cola company. If you painted a picture of Mickey Mouse and offered it for sale, you would hear from Disney. Other well known images such as the Chevrolet "Bow-Tie" or the "Nike "Swoosh" would bring the same response.

We don't claim universal ownership of the "fiesta" word. We do, however, own the rights to the word as it relates to ceramic dinnerware.

...For the protection of our valuable brands, we must seek out and attempt to stop those who would profit from the popularity of our brands without our knowledge or authoriztion.

A WORD OF CAUTION, FOLKS!!!

A NOTE ABOUT "COPY CAT-ting" - A HOT TOPIC!!!

2010-08-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

I am going to stick my neck out and share an opinion on the copying and eventual selling of non-original art work.

Art students everywhere are, at one time or another, asked to begin taking their own photographs or using personal visual and mental experiences as source material from which to create a work of art. New students often study masters and other instructors' works to learn technical skills in handling tools and equipment, to learn about design, composition, color and application in creating an effective work of art - learning to walk before they can run. As a student begins to develop these necessary skills, they should begin using their own source materials and experiences to create art work.

A fine line must be drawn when students copy another's work and sell that work for gain and/or recognition. Not only are some artists dismissed from galleries or art show competitions for suggesting an original when in actuality it already exists, some are now being sued. At a workshop held outside of Atlanta that I attended earlier this year, the entire group was instructed to ask permission to paint another group's still life set up due to the issue of plagarism.

I think it is important to begin with the definiton of "plagarism". Plagarism is the act of copying the work of another and representing it as your own. The opposite of plagarism is, then, "creativity" and "originality". Students should employ the skills learned in classes and workshops to create their own style which should vary significantly from the style of the teacher or master.

So, be careful, students...be wary of plagarism. It is an ethincal issue and in some cases can be a legal issue.

PEGGI KROLL-ROBERTS - THE FIGURE IN LANDSCAPE

2010-05-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

California's Peggi Kroll demonstrates how to achieve value of the figure in landscape in 25 brush strokes or less.

THE PORTRAIT SOCIETY OF ATLANTA - TOP THREE WINNERS

2010-05-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

First: Casey Baugh, Chattanooga (middle)

Second: Donna Colleran, Atlanta (right)

Third: Jon Houlgrum, NC (left)

Lora Hill, main organizer of this event, reaching on the far right.

THE PORTRAIT SOCIETY OF ATLANTA - RECEPTION AT THE GALLERY AT PAPER MILL VILLAGE

2010-05-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

Whoa! What a crowd we had last night for the opening reception for The Portrait Society of Atlanta's 2010 Spring Juried Exhibition (judge: Dawn Whitelaw).

If you want to see what some of the leading southeastern portrait artists are up to, please visit the gallery during the month of May. The show will end just before Memorial Day weekend. Some pretty amazing work.

We are privilieged to have as first place winner for his "Luminesce", Casey Baugh, from Chattanooga in the show with two of his other works. They are stunning to say the least. What a promising career this young man has ahead of him! Check out his web site. http://www.caseybaughfineart.com/

RAY ROBERTS - END OF DEMO WORK

2010-05-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

Ray stopped his demo so that the group could paint, but this is where he ended his demo...note the lead in with the pink flowers to the vine on the fence to the side of the house in the back, across the roof and finally resting in the focal area of the limbs and side of the house. Ray successfully led the eye through the canvas to his focal area - something we also witnessed in Ken Auster's demo...these guys are masters at this!!!

RAY ROBERTS - CROSSING OVER AND CHANGING TEMPERATURE

2010-05-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

In this close-up picture of Ray's demo work, note that when limbs crossed over from the warm white side of the house to the cooler blue shadow side, the limbs changed from a warmer color to a cooler color when entering the shadow.

Talk about temperature knowledge and being able to see what is going on in nature! Whew! This is a hard concept to grasp, for sure! But, look at how the tree comes to life...

Of course, in this study, it is more exaggerated for the lesson...per Ray...

RAY ROBERTS - LAYING IN DESIGN WITH VALUES

2010-05-09T07:11:00.000-07:00

Ray laid in his design with lovely gray values...and then he painted directly on top of it with color to hold true to his original values. He did a demo of what would hapen if he veered off his original design and value range and it truly destroyed the painting. Hold true to the values you see!!!

CALIFORNIA'S RAY ROBERTS - DEMO AND DISCUSSION

2010-05-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

If I had to choose a title of yesterday's workshop by Ray Roberts, I would call it what he wanted the class to learn - "Design in Black & White, Paint in Color". Here, Ray demos how to block in shapes in black on a white canvas.

A few "pearls" he shared with the group:

1. When dealing with a large area of light and a small area of dark, make the dark area more luminescent (i.e., the eave between a roof and side of house (eave needs to be more luminescent); a large mass of light blue sky and a dark silhouette of tree leaves (leaves need to be more luminescent).

2. Asking, "Why a color is the color you see?" The answer: Look for what color is being reflected from an object (i.e., blue on the side of a white house reflects the blue sky, green on the side of a house reflects the light bouncing off the grass or bush)...

3. "Think in values, but do it in color."

4. "Anything in light is lighter than anything in shadow."

5. "If you change your original values from your black, white and gray study, your painting will "go south" in a hurry! (We had a great chuckle over this given that they are not from here!)

6. Typical order of focal points in a painting that the viewer gravitates towards: First, people; then animals, structures, flowers and, lastly, the landscape.

7. Have a variety of mechanical, organic and unequal shapes..."dot, dash, dash, dot, dot"...

8. "Err on the side of warm."

And then Peggi Kroll-Roberts added a tid bit of knowledge: "When in doubt, take it out!"

I will have to say that these two are delightful as a husband and wife team. They have fun together; their sense of humor is wonderful and they play off each other...FUN, FUN, FUN!!!

PEGGI KROLL-ROBERTS WORKSHOP

2010-05-08T05:18:00.000-07:00

We are so fortunate to have both Peggi Kroll-Roberts and her husband, Ray Roberts, visit Atlanta for a workshop hosted by the school. This photo exemplifies Peggi's study of values of the figure in landscape.

The workshop included:

Day 1: Still Life (Peggi)

Day2: The Figure in Landscape (Peggi)

Day 3: Plein Air Landscape (Ray)

PEGGI-KROLL ROBERTS WORKSHOP AT THE GALLERY

2010-05-08T05:16:00.000-07:00

Students participating in the Peggi Kroll-Roberts Still Life Workshop at The Gallery at Paper Mill Village.

Note: The Portrait Society of Atlanta is exhibiting at the gallery during the month of May.

PEGGI KROLL-ROBERTS - GIVING GUIDANCE TO A STUDENT

2010-05-08T05:15:00.000-07:00

Peggi offers "undivided" attention to every student participating in the workshop - a kind and gentle approach.

USING A HAND MIRROR

2010-05-08T05:12:00.000-07:00

Peggi Kroll-Roberts instructs in how and why to use a hand mirror in looking backwards at what you are painting - to insure that you are capturing the correct likeness of your still life or subject - angles, shapes and relationships.

PEGGI KROLL-ROBERT'S VALUE STUDIES - DAY 1 OF WORKSHOP

2010-05-08T05:10:00.000-07:00

First: Black and white

Second: Balck white, and gray

Third: Local color application

PEGGI KROLL-ROBERTS IN ACTION

2010-05-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

Peggi demonstrates value relatiooships.

INSTEAD OF AN APPLE A DAY...HOW ABOUT A SKETCH A DAY!

2010-05-08T05:05:00.000-07:00

Peggi shares her beautiful sketch notebook...every workshop instructor has stressed how important it is to sketch at least one thing a day...

PEGGI KROLL- ROBERTS VISITS ATLANTA

2010-05-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Peggi Kroll Roberts of Angel Camp, California and one California's leading artists speaks of value, value value... The workshop group first worked in large black and white shapes, then in the second study we added gray. Then we applied the principles learned to color studies.

ARLEEN TURZO JOINS TEACHING STAFF

2010-05-02T04:20:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to announce that Arleen Turzo, an incredibly gifted artist who is locally represented at Lagerquist Gallery, will join our instructor panel. She is offering a workshop on September 11 and 12 on palette knife technique taking into consideration color harmony, how to use the knife to achieve different effects, working with a sophisticated gray and colorful palette. Note this painting, "Neutrals and Roses", in how Arleen depicts the shadows. These have been beautifully handled. Exquisite palette and technique indeed!!! http://www.arleenturzo.com/

THE PORTRAIT SOCIETY OF ATLANTA JURIED SPRING EXHIBITION

2010-04-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

JOIN US FOR THE PORTRAIT SOCIETY OF ATLANTA'S JURIED SPRING EXHIBITION

Opening reception: Saturday, May 8th, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
The Gallery at Paper Mill Village, 255 Village Parkway, Suite, 320, Marietta, GA 30067

Judge: Dawn Whitelaw (Tennessee)

Show dates through May 28th.

GARY BODNER - ALWAYS ONE TO SUPPORT THE ARTISTS!

2010-04-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

Donna Thomas, Angela Nesbit, and Gary Bodner sharing a KODAK moment!!! We hade a great evening at The Gallery at Paper Mill Village.

MERIT AWARD WINNERS - PALETTE KNIFE EXHIBIT

2010-04-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

Judge: Angela Nesbit, Gallery Director, Donna Thomas, Melissa Payne Baker, Beth Stormont, and Arleen Turzo. Missing: Maureen Engle, Julie Mann, Patricia Meyers.

MERIT AWARD WINNERS - PALETTE KNIFE EXHIBIT

2010-04-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

Melissa Payne Baker (award winner) and Beth Stormont (two time winner) stand with Beth's husband, Jim, in celebrating an exciting opening reception for the Palette Knife Exhibition.

ANGELA NESBIT - JUDGE FOR PALETTE KNIFE EXHIBIT

2010-04-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Gallery at Paper Mill Village is currently hosting a palette knife exhibit which Angela judged for merit awards. One of the recipients is of the painting behind her, that by Arleen Turzo who attended her workshop, "Roses & Neutrals".

ANGELA'S GROUP

2010-04-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

The entire group enjoyed Angela's style of instruction. She was able to give every student ample instruction in palette knife technique...

ANGELA NESBIT - DEMO

2010-04-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

Angela Nesbit discussing the design of her painting to the well attended demo!

ANGELA NESBIT - PREPARING FOR PALETTE KNIFE WORKSHOP

2010-04-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

Selecting the best flowers for her bouquet demo...a real challenge for .

KEN AUSTER AT WORK!

2010-04-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

CITY LIGHTS - AUSTER

2010-04-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

The warm and the cool side of the street....amazing!!! He brings life to people out of dark splotches of color!

ALIEN COLOR - KEN AUSTER

2010-04-21T13:01:00.001-07:00

Ken Auster's first demo...with alien color (in this case phthalo blue) and all in the bell tower... how he wormed his way through with value lines to direct the eye to the focal point...he discussed having the ability to take a viewer exactly where he wanted to take them with line, color, detail and contrast...the focal point which is where he begins his paintings in making a road map the first fifteen minutes to lay out the design.

FROM THOSE BLACK BLOBS OF PAINT...

2010-04-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

The finished Ken Auster product! Finished in about an hour...

A phrase Ken used over and over again...if it is "not working" in the first 30 minutes, start over!!!

KEN AUSTER - DEMO WORKS

2010-04-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been too long. Since I last wrote both Ken Auster (Laguna Beach, CA) and Angela Nesbit (Charlotte, NC) have been her to hold workshops!

So, to begin with Ken...BRILLIANT!!! You could hear a pin drop during his incredible demo and lecture. What a master at his art!!

To begin...the focal point - his spider with its abstract web. How he was able to control the viewer's eyes with line, value, contrast and "alien" color...a color that is not found anywhere else in the work.

And, my how he is able to pull off actual gestural figures from a black blob of paint.

KEN AUSTER - TO ARRIVE FRIDAY

2010-03-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

Finally... It has taken me well over a year to get this surfer dude here in Georgia. We originally wanted to head to Savannah last year, but it never panned out, but with short notice this year, we had to be satisfied with the hills of Atlanta. Ken arrives Friday where we will first visit Anne Irwin at her gallery opening and then we will be hunting for places to paint on Saturday. Sunday, Ken will hold a full day demo/lecture at the gallery and then we are off to the to-be-announced locations on Monday (rain is in the forecast), and Tuesday (sunny- yeah!!!). I AM so looking forward to watching Ken paint...he is legendary. Will get pics for you all to see!!!

MERIT AWARD WINNERS - MIXED MEDIA/COLLAGE EXHIBIT - The Gallery at Paper Mill Village

2010-03-07T15:55:00.000-08:00

Merit Award Winners:

(L-R) Donna Thomas (School and Gallery Director), Douglas Fromm (Atlanta), Lisa D. Watson (Savannah), Patricia Wolf (Atlanta), judge Kenson Thompson. Absent: Rae Broyles (Atlanta), Luby Lowry (Savannah), Mary C. Leto and Pat Sahertian (Blufton, SC)

MIXED MEDIA/COLLAGE EXHIBIT RECEPTION - FRIDAY, MARCH 5th

2010-03-07T01:58:00.000-08:00

Group shot at Mixed Media/Collage Exhibit reception on Friday, March 5th

Another group shot

Kenson sharing laugh with juried artist Janet Saryadegar

Kenson with merit award winner, Patricia Wolf

The reception was well attended by numerous juried artists traveling from Savannah, Athens, and throughout the metro area and their supporters. After the introduction of the awards, Kenson Thompson, the judge, noted that her selection of the merit awards was a difficult choice, but a common thread ran throughout her selections - works with a story, a mystery and paintings that made her want to go paint! The reception was followed by a workshop held at the school by Kenson in her techniques this weekend. She said she gave away all of her secrets and was so willing to share! A number of students at the workshop took my suggestion and visited the Women's Center at Northside Hospital where a large collection of commissioned works by Kenson are on permanent display.

OIL STICKS USED IN MIXED MEDIA WORKSHOP

2010-03-06T16:57:00.000-08:00

Huge oil crayons...gorgeous colors...make a nice shot!!

STUDENT EXAMPLES - KENSON'S WROKSHOP

2010-03-06T16:55:00.000-08:00

Student, Rae Broyles, completed work day 1 of Kenson's workshop. So much fun!!!

KENSON HELPING STUDENT

2010-03-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

Kenson explaining technique to student, Blayne Beacham.

KENSON'S WORKSHOP - BEGINNING DEMO

2010-03-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

This is Kenson's beginning demo today for her workshop at the school. She requested a small intimate group of students. They all looked like they were having such a good time.

MIXED MEDIA/COLLAGE EXHIBIT FRIDAY RECEPTION

2010-03-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

I am getting really excited about Kenson's coming tomorrow to judge the Mixed Media/Collage Exhibit. The reception is Friday evening, so I hope you will come - between 6:00 - 8:30 pm at the gallery.

It is so much fun to just walk behind a judge to hear their thoughts. It is such a learning experience. For example, Corinne Adams who judged the Photography Exhibit definitely leaned toward the "mystery" of the photographic work, the "moment" it caught in time, and the "story". Not only did she take into consideration the photograph itself, but the framing - she looked at the work in its entirety - from the start to the finished product. Bill Davidson, judge for the Southestern Plein Air Exhibit, stood for almost thirty minutes in the middle of the room before taking a closer look. He rotated 360 degrees and let the merit works first capture his attention from a distance. Then, upon his closer look, he looked for those "lost and found" edges, color harmony, variety, asymmetry,composition, and most importantly, VALUE - ahhh...VALUE - how many times is this word mentioned in one of our workshops or classes!

So, tomorrow, I get to "hear" what Kenson has to say...I fell in love with her work years ago in the atrium at the Women's Center at Northside Hospital which houses a collection of her work. I simply cannot wait!

THE "BLING", THE "BRIDE" & THE "HERO"

2010-02-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

Three of our instructors have very different names for their "FOCAL POINT"- that part of a painting that pulls one into the work, the center of interest or the main subject. Ellen White calls it the bling, Millie Gosch, the bride, and Nancy Franke, the hero. When designing your painting keep in mind what you want your main focus to be and make that statement. The focal point is usually that area of the painting that has the highest contrast and the hardest edges. Everything else will play second fiddle to it and support the bling, the bride or the hero.

30 PAINTINGS OF DAY

2010-02-24T04:03:00.000-08:00

Nancy Franke told everyone in the workshop that if they painted something small each day, they will notice a drastic change in their ability to "see" and improve their skills. Look at what Carol Marine has accomplished in her daily paintings...you become fresh, spontaneous, you see "values" better and shapes. Try it!!

THE KISS THEORY

2010-02-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

I am sure, by now, that most of you have heard of this theory. I learned it many years ago from a lawyer friend of mine. and, I find that this theory practically applies to everything in life...including painting. Keeping it simple _ _ _ _ _ _ is what has made so many wonderful artists become great painters. They do not over do! So remember, KISS!

HANG ON AND ENJOY THE RIDE!!!

2010-02-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

The other day someone asked how I would describe the school. I have heard so many students say that the school is doing something that Atlanta has desperately needed for such a long time - bringing revered artists to our city to teach aritsts. Sometimes, it does feel like a runaway train, but I just try to hang on and enjoy the ride. Luckily, I have had some great students and instructors who have helped me along the way. Both Millie Gosch, an instructor, and Jenny Schultz, a student of the school, have offered to help me arrange the workshop schedule. Millie was instrumental in getting Ray Roberts and Patti Kroll-Roberts here and I am chomping at the bit to get the artists that have been contacted by Jenny on our schedule just so you can get as excited as I am about who is planning to come. Anyway, I do hope you will join us all on this thrilling ride. We are so fortuante to have such wonderful instruction!!!

JURIED EXHIBITONS - CALL FOR ENTRIES

2010-02-23T00:54:00.000-08:00

March 8th marks the deadline for entry submissions for the Palette Knife Juried Exhibition to be held in April. Angela Nesbit, of Charlotte, NC and represented by Huff Harrinton in Atlanta, will jury and judge this show. She will be offering a weekend workshop at the gallery following the reception which will be held on Friday April 9th. A palette knife demo will be held on Friday, the 9th, from noon - 3:00 which is open to the public for $25. Join us for a wonderful reception with great food prepared by The Paper Mill Grill on Friday, April 9th, from 6:00 -8:30 when the Merit Awards will be announced.

Future juried exhibitions:

May - The Portrait Society of Atlanta Spring 2010 Juried Exhibtion - Judge: Dawn Whitelaw
June - Atlanta Watercolor Exhibit ( Judge: Marie Matthews)
July - Retro Americana Exhibit (Judge: Gary Bodner)
August - Atlanta Equestrian Exhibit (Judge: Robert Christie)
September - Pastel Exhibit (Judge: TBA)
Ocotber: Atlanta Celebrates Photography
November - Still Life Exhibit (Judge: Nancy Franke)
December - School Show for Students and Instructors

AWARD WINNERS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN PLEIN AIR EXHIBIT

2010-02-23T00:27:00.001-08:00

Meet the Merit Award Winners for the Southeastern Plein Air Exhibition which was held this month with an award reception on February 5th.

Photo: L-R: Donna Thomas (school and gallery director), award winners, Jane Scott (Atlanta), Lori Putnam (Nashville), Charles Walls (Atlanta), Amanda Carder (Cartersville), Bill Davidson (Judge). Missing in photo: Mille Gosch (Atlanta) and Libby Mathews (Tiger, Ga).

The reception was wonderful - little beef wellingtons and crab stuffed mushrooms provided gratis by The Paper Mill Grill next door. There were about 85 people who turned out on this frigid, rainly evening to honor these artists juried into this exhibition. Congratulations to these award winners!! The work is absoluely lovely. Show comes down on February 27th, so if you have not had a chance to come take a look. please do so. The Gallery at Paper Mill Village, 255 Village Parkway, Suite 320, Marietta, GA 30067. Hours Mon, Thurs, Fri, and Sat 10 - 3.

POST NANCY FRANKE

2010-02-23T00:10:00.000-08:00

What a great weekend 15 students had at The Gallery at Paper Mill Village in Nancy's "Alla Prima" workshop. Nancy is a dynamo. The space was incredible and fit everyone very comfortably with three still life set ups, the teaching was fantastic and the camaraderie was wonderful!! We all shared so many experiences and laughs together at lunch each day. Rather than everyone having to run out in different cars to grab lunch, we are fortunate to have the cafe next to us reserve a large table for 16 on Saturday and on Sunday at the other restaurant that adjoins the gallery, The Paper Mill Grill, prepared an elegant table for 17. Ellen White, one of our instructors at the school and friend to Nancy Franke, came to visit us Sunday and offered her critique to several students that afternoon. Nancy welcomed her visit. I wish I could remember what Nancy said in response to student, Martha Diaz's, question about Nancy's note about the "language" of art. It was a truly eloquent. Although workshops can be exhaustng in and of themselves, the overall joy of learning from one of Atlanta's greatest was felt. Nancy is without a doubt one of the most honest, fun, exuberant, and gifted instructors we have...hail to Nancy!

SOUTHEASTERN PLEIN AIR EXHIBIT

2010-01-10T12:26:00.001-08:00

The Southeastern Plein Air Exhibit judged by Bill Davidson will be held on Friday February 5 - February 26th. The reception will be held at The Gallery at Paper Mill Village on Friday, February 5, from 6:00 - 8:30 pm. You absolutely MUST come see the work in this incredible show!!! Absolutely wonderful!!! Works from NC, Sc, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Florida....

GEORGIA PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW

2010-01-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

The Georgia Photography Show judged by Corinne Adams at The Gallery at Paper Mill Village, 255 Village Parkway, Suite 320, Marietta, Ga. 30067, will hold an "Exit Reception" due to the ice on Friday night. Believe it or not, about 25 people showed including one of our favorite artists and instructors, Gary Bodner! So come, Sunday, January 31, from 2:00 - 4:30 to see some beautiful photography...

Next February show - Southeastern Plein Air Exhibit - wow, what incredible works!!! Bill Davidson is judging this show...

WOW - It's been that long!

2010-01-10T12:10:00.001-08:00

Hi!

Phew! It has been a long break since we all last met! And, my what a winter. We had to cancel Lorraine Christie's workshop this weekend due to the horrible weather and Lorraine was stuck in her house...her car on the side of the road...but I wanted to share one thing that Lorraine wanted us to work on this weekend - and that was to "UNTHINK"! Please tell me how does one "unthink"??? But, I know one thing for sure - this is very necessary thing to do if we want to grow. She described that she wanted us to slip into that gap between thinking and not and how to work with a certain palette of color. She has rescheduled for the 23-24th of January and there are only two spots left after we ironed out who could make this workshop up...so, if you want to learn to "unthink", come join us. You just have to love that lovely lilt of an Irish accent that Lorraine has...beautiful!!! See you all next week and hope you all learn a lot!!

A FEW RECEPTION SHOTS - DECEMBER 4th HOLIDAY EVENT!

2009-12-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

OH, WHAT A NIGHT!!

2009-12-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

A photo of the outside of The Gallery at Paper Mill (not even a half of a mile past the hooch on Johnson Ferry). We had our grand opening on Friday, December 4th! We had a wonderful crowd, sold EIGHT art works, and had live music and hors d'ouvres courtesy from Ritter's Paper Mill Grill next door. Many stayed to dine at Ritter's and some lounged in the adjoining bar at Ritter's to listen to 70's and 80's music.

Congratulations, eveyone. The show looks fabulous and the guest walked away with some nice work...

THE WORKSHOP GROUP - JIM RICHARDS

2009-11-29T16:38:00.000-08:00

Again, day one...this is our group of ten who took Jim Richards' workshop in north Ga/NC. Some of the group will travel with Jim next August to Point Reyes and Bodega Bay, California. We will see where the Russian River opens into the Pacific and see the "10 mile" stretch of beach and hills from the "point" at the national reserve at Point Reyes. I am excited!!! It is such a lovely place...

JIM RICHARDS - DAY THREE

2009-11-29T16:32:00.000-08:00

Today, we tackled a waterfall! This fairly unknown waterfall is located behind the lake at Sky Valley, Ga. and was probably about 65-75 feet high. It was so loud that it was impossible for Jim to demo. You could not hear your neighbor who was not more than three feet away! This time I got it. Having never painted moving water before, I studied what was beneath the water and noticed that the rocks were like slanted steps. I blocked those in with a dark color. Once this set up for about five minutes, I then came back with white or bluish white and pulled the color with a fairly large brush in the direction of the fall over each rock step - voila! It worked!!!

JIM RICHARDS - DAY TWO - SAPPHIRE LAKE, NC

2009-11-29T16:26:00.000-08:00

Day 2 - Another lovely day! This time viewing the incredible mirror of the mountians and trees surrounding Sapphire Lake in the still water near Cashiers where a number of participants were staying for the weekend. A bit on the chilly side in the shade, I had to catch the sun's rays several times to thaw...but, what a beautiful lake this was!

Jim is demonstrating "blocking in" with a size 18 brush on a canvas no larger than 11 x 14 and using his basic "gray" palette to create a lovely, harmonious work of art.

What was interesting was that as Jim continued with his demo, the mirror of the lake began to change with the spreading of a gorgeous blue color skiming the surface of the lake from a far penisula heading towards us. The wind had picked up ever so slightly catching the reflection of the blue sky. This same blue "color" happened on this green colored water surface that reflected its trees when two boys threw rocks into the still lake. The ripples revealed the reflection of the blue sky in the circles that initially emerged from where the rock entered the water and the green color was quickly restored as the circles moved further away from the rock's entry point.

Plein air can be extremely difficult, but it makes you "see". Some days you do well, some days...oh, well... my best day was Day 3!!!

Oh..and one more thing...I keep hearing that word, "VALUE". Jim mentioned it every single day, more than once, and I hear it at the school all of the time. Value, value, value...we need to all hear this...AND...composition. Remove things from your subject if it is NOT working. Do not be afraid to move a tree, make a path, add a stream...make the painting work compositionally. (*Read about some design rules below.)

JIM RICHARDS" NOVEMBER WORKSHOP IN NC/NORTH GA

2009-11-29T16:16:00.000-08:00

It has been almost two weeks since I last wrote in this blog. I have been preparing for a school show at The Gallery at Paper Mill Village which will have its premiere opening reception this Friday, December 4th, from 6:00 - 8:30 pm...ya'll come!

Anyway, Jim...what can I say. He is one of the most generous and talented artists I know. Jim has provided three workshops at the school and wanted to go "outside" for the third. And, outside we went. This photo of Jim is during the first day at the family home of a friend of one of the workshop participants. The view you see is for "50 miles" - all the way to Brasstown Bald from Scaly, NC. We could not have had better weather. As you can see, Jim is in short sleeves in the middle of November. It poured the week before. We were very fortunate. Our group of 10 met this first day to a chilly morning which ended with our peeling off layers and getting sunburns. (Note the shed and dotted cows in the valley. This view was gorgeous - not to mention the finest collection of art in the home above us...)

DESIGN TIP NO. 2 - THE IMPORTANCE OF VALUE

2009-11-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of a gray scale which is a valuable tool for the artist to accurately judge the tone or value of the subject they are painting. It starts out with "1" as being the darkest (black) and ends with "1o" as the lightest (white). And, there are the ranges of light, dark and mid-tones in between.

Try to think of values in two distinct groups - areas of shadow and areas of light. The differences between light and dark help define shapes and show you what the light is doing. It takes practice to recognize correct value.

A helpful tool that Ellen White uses in her advanced class is to have her students take a black and white photo of their painting in progress and a black and white photo of what they are working from and then matching them to see if their values are, in fact, "correct".

Value allows the maximum contrast and can be used to control visibility and attention. Two major considerations are the amount of contrast (where the greatest dark against light occurs or vice versa) and the tonal range (the range from black to white). The highest contrasting area between light and dark enhances visibility and noticeabiltiy - hence the most efffective way of creating a "focal point". When this strong contrast is reduced, the visibility is reduced.

Definitions: Value? It is either light or dark. Hue? Each color has a name (I am not trying to confuse anyone here.)

But, please, avoid equal amounts of dark, mid-tones and light - boring. Variety is the name of the game.

DESIGN PRINCIPLE NO. 1 - THE RULE OF THIRDS

2009-11-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

School's out until next year, so I am going to begin writing notes about some of the principles that our students are being taught at the school throughout the year. The fact of the matter is that no matter how good the paint application or the color is, the painting will not be effective without a good design or composition which must be determined at the outset.

THE RULE OF THIRDS and NO MAN'S LAND (the BULL's EYE)...

The rule of thirds states that the centers of interest lie somewhere along the lines of the grid. Where they intersect at the red dots are the "power points", a term used by photographers. Placing a focal point near one of these power points can give balance to a composition and allow the work to be more engaging to the eye while making sure to avoid the bull's eye area or what I call NO MAN'S LAND - that square in the dead center of the grid. To help you in mapping out your design, dot in along the edges of your canvas your tic tac toe grid and decide where your focus will be before starting out.

HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT FINDING AN ART TEACHER?

2009-11-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

Hmmm...well...

First, I would look for someone who is going to teach the fundamentals g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y. It is wrong to assume that a student knows the basics, but as Millie Gosch has said over and over again, "It may take a thousand times that you say something and the 1001th time, they are ready to receive it." It takes repetition, repetition, repetition and everyone needs to be reminded about what is important. Secondly, are you improving with continued instruction? If not, uh, oh... Thirdly, are you being treated as an individual - not as a group. Are there any "favorites" - this would not be a good sign. Fourth, is the class overcrowded? Too many people and you will not get the attention that you need, have paid for and deserve. Fifth, are you training with people you like. It helps to learn with people who help and encourage you. Sixth, does the teacher encourage competition? I cannot imagine a more uncomfortable situation. Seventh, do you feel "safe" in the environent? Be careful of intimidating students (and teachers). Teachers should control this aspect of a class. And, teachers who are overbearing can be intimidating to students. Teachers make mistakes, too, so find one who is humble. Eight...an overly critical teacher can make you give up (I hope I have never done this to anyone!!!). Criticism without instruction on how to improve is of no use to the student or anyone for that matter. Students progress by winning, not by loosing. And, last, but not least, and I feel most importantly, "Are you having fun and learning something at the same time?" All of these questions I have posed to you with the help of the words of Eric Hines...

HARMONY OF COLOR

2009-11-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

A word about color harmony...

I wish I had taken a picture of this work yesterday when the color of this boys' clothes really conflicted with the landscape color.

He had a bright lemon yellow shirt and bright blue pants. Sharmila and I discussed what might create a more harmonius work and it was decided to abandon the actual photograph and work with a color scheme that already existed in the landcape. What an amazing transformation this color change made...

MORAL OF THIS STORY: Don't be married to your photograph or scene! If it doesn't work, change it, eliminate it, move things around, but don't stick with it if it simply isn't working...the end.

ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE...

2009-11-05T03:25:00.000-08:00

The best paintings start out with a "correct" drawing and a great composition. Laura, who has never attempted painting a portrait before, has decided to challenge herself by doing all three of her children. Do-able, but she needs to know up front that this will take some time.

She sets out using a grid to establish the shape of the head of the first child and outlines the features of the face. Even after "thinking" that by using this technique that her drawing will be correct, she quickly learns that it is not when asked to review the "relationships" of the drawing - where does the corner of the eye align with edge of the nose and the corner of the mouth, where does the bottom of the ear align with the tip of the nose and the brow, what is the measurment of the distance from the top of the forehead to the bridge of the nose and how it relates to the distance from the bridge of the nose to the bottom of the chin.

Laura learned that although the grid is an excellent beginning tool, her drawing was not correct. She was given one more "general" rule of thumb that there are "three" eye spaces which did ring true for this child.

Overall, I find that many students are anxious to have a finished product without first spending the time on the fundamentals. The key word is to SLOW DOWN and allow yourself to really "see" the relationships.

I cannot wait to see where she is on her drawings at our next meeting.

Then, on to laying in her darks and introducing the complexity of skins tones...and there will be more discussion on compositional design elements of an art work on this blog...CRITICAL!!

AS THE LIGHT POURS IN

2009-11-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

On a more serious note...

Martha once again painting one of her wonderful large fruit works! They are stunning - come see them on December 4th.

Nancy next to the window painting her lovely beach scene. She just finished a wonderful golden retreiver painting and will be taking Robert Christie's Drawing Animals class next session.

Note: The torches in the rear on the shelf...these are for the encaustic class...there IS a fire extinguisher in the room.

WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T HAVE FUN!!!

2009-11-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

Who says you can't have fun taking an art class? "Not I", says Treacy, playing the lady matador with her drawing paper. "Not I", says Cathy... both taking that much needed breather we were talking about earlier...

SUCCESS!!!

2009-11-03T13:29:00.001-08:00

SUCCESS!!!

This was a great day for the students in today's class! What had been a past few difficult weeks for one student today ended in success!!! Her painting started with a wonderful drawing and then clean color application. The result was the beginning of a wonderful, sweet, fun work and should be a wonderful gift for a sister-in-law.

I have found that when someone begins to get into a "funk", it is best to put the brush down, take some time to relax and get refreshed and then start again. Writers get writer's block...artists definitely get artist's block.

I always ask students to take a break from their work during a class, walk around, regroup, and give their brains a break... it always helps one to be able to "see" a little bit better!

GALLERY SPACE

2009-11-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

The Art School in Sandy Springs will be hosting a "Holiday Show" at The Gallery At Paper Mill Village, an exquisite 2200 sf space adjacent to the Paper Mill Grill and Bar with a reception on Friday, December 4th, from 6:00 - 8:30 pm. Come join us for great art and company!!!