Tag Archives: workshop

Happy Holidays – The Artist’s Way

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Do you still have room for one more Christmas gift? No? Buy it anyway. This is a true gem: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.  If you ever got stuck, had some kind of creative block (who hasn’t) or never got started because…  because there is always a “good” reason not to – and you are really frustrated and finally want to do it but can’t somehow. This book will help you to overcome whatever holds you back. Sounds too good to be true? That’s what I thought. Now that I finally bought it and started following her advice, I can honestly say, it does work. At least for me – and it did for thousands of others before me. So why not give it a try. You have nothing to lose, except your frustration and pain.

Wishing all of you “out there” happy holidays and all the best for 2019.

May all your dreams come true.

 

Screenshot 2018-12-22 at 13.08.39

Experimental Painting

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I attended a class at Miller School of Art in Georgetown today (which is just south of Seattle). Title of the class was Experimental Painting. Marc (the owner) provides all the material and you have four hours of time to just paint, no restrictions, no limits really – he gave some guidelines what media to use in what order, basically teaching certain techniques – but otherwise you could just let loose – which I enjoyed sooo much. Just letting loose compared to the very concentrated efforts of the drawing instructions in the other classes was a nice change. Here are the two paintings I produced.

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Mixed Media on Watercolor Paper | Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Watercolor and Acrylic | 06/2012

The above painting was just pure fun. First you apply any shape you like with charcoal (it leaves the dark shadow-like shapes), then you draw in oil pastel (which pops out in the end), go over it with a layer of watercolor (that’s what you would see as back ground color in this case), paint with acrylic paint on top of it, blow dry the whole thing until the acrylic is half-way “firm” – and finally wash/scrub the whole painting down under running water. The acrylic remnants show up as fine lines here. The abuse the painting took was amazing and the outcome just pure fun.

Mixed Media – Watercolor, Charcoal, Acrylic on Untreated Cotton Cloth | 06/2012

This is the second painting I’ve created. It’s done on drop cloth stapled to a 1/4 inch board (cheap material ! ). First you apply layers of watercolor, then charcoal (hardly visible in this painting) and finally acrylic paint. I really liked the technique (very promising, I will use it in the future for sure) and if I may say so,  I am fascinated with the outcome.

Also, did I mention it ? Fun, Fun, Fun !

Gage Academy – Seattle

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The Gage Academy in Seattle is a school of fine arts. They focus “on classical training for contemporary artists”. All classes are taught by working artists. In many classes students work from a live model. Gage is a non-profit, classes are quite affordable or sometimes even free, e.g. the Art Talk Series. They focus on their mission to make high quality art education accessible to everyone (young or old) who is willing to learn, in many ways similar to the Art Students League in New York. Besides classes, workshops and lectures for adults and youth they offer Atelier for “the serious artist in training”. Atelier students study every day for many months (or even years) with a specific professional artist in a studio setting. Working side by side with an established artist in the atelier is how aspiring artists used to learn needed skills (and develop as artists) for many centuries. Another outstanding program they offer is Teen Art Studio, completely free art instruction (including material) for teens between 13 and 18 years of age. Gage Academy is located in Capitol Hill (on 10th Avenue) right next to St. Marks Cathedral. If you live in the Seattle area and you are interested in fine art drop by one of these days. It is a wonderful old brick building with just the right vibes. Sign in with the front office, walk up to the third floor and view the periodically changing exhibitions in the Entry, Rosen and Steel Gallery. May be you even get a peek in one of the studio classrooms. Get inspired – enjoy!

Loosening Up (Jakob’s World)

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Here is what I produced yesterday during the first day of Bev’s workshop. I tried to loosen up and paint a little more fearless. (I usually am very hesitant and think about every single brush stroke.)   Bev’s bold, fast and fearless approach to watercolor painting encouraged me to try the same. Of course she has 20 years of experience and I only about three months but you have to dare otherwise one doesn’t learn anything. So, dare to mess up. There is no wrong or right, really.

My painting did not turn out as I had imaging it when I started but I am happy with the result. Another lesson learned – go with the flow (with watercolor that sometimes means literally) and accept the outcome.

“Jakob’s World” | Watercolor | 09/2011