Using Mixed Media to Discover Your Voice, Part 3

Truro

My favorite part of any workshop is the end. It is the time when everyone gets to look at what they have accomplished and also what the entire group accomplished. We talk about process, we talk about formal elements and most importantly  talk about content. Are any of these works finished? The million dollar question. I would say, in most cases, no, but they are research to take back to the  studio.

I am pointing something out to Andy.

Here is she is. Her love of light and an abstracted landscape was apparent.

Barbara used her one minute drawings as a spring board to develop these  beautifully subtle  pieces.

 

Connie apologized  for her graphic one minute drawings. I said "Are you crazy? If that is what you do then go for it"

And she did with the exciting three pieces below the drawings. Freedom

 !

I saw maps/mapping in Deborah's work the first day and that sparked the above work.

Denise came with  specific imagery in mind for a book project. Here you can see the gravestone image emerging.

Julie's lyrical works reference stones and landscape.

Karen's love for textiles, organic forms and light are featured in her work here.

Lorraine worked very quietly and slowly creating these pieces. The top one in particular has such an interesting use of negative space, edge and line. It  is one of those pieces that reveals more as you look at it.

I blew up Maryellen's photo because all of her pieces were small. Small, but packed with luscious paint, surface and glimmers of light. Gems.

Pam had a great time painting and painting over. I am looking forward to seeing what happens with the triptych. You can't see it in this photo but there are layers of light and beautifuly quiet markings.

Patricia brought and did a tremendous amount of work. This is only half of the pieces she was working on. She is working out lots of ideas and it will interesting to see how she synthesizes them into her work.

This was my demo piece which I started in April at the R&F workshop. I brought it out to do a demo, and ended up adding that purple square on the left. Although it got a lot of oohs  and ahs

from the "crowd", I took it out. The piece is still percolating.

Here is the group! 

Thanks Cheri for inviting me to teach at Castle Hill.


For upcoming workshops please visit my website teaching page.

Using Mixed Media to Discover Your Voice, Part 2

After the first day (here), I introduced some materials that I like to work with including pigment sticks, cold wax, oil paint, graphite and various tools and techniques. Below are a few shots of the work in progress.

Patricia

Deborah

Denise

Connie

      

Maryellen

        

Barbara

Lorraine looking

                                                                                    

Andy

Julie

Karen

Pam

Using Mixed Media to Discover Your Voice, Day 1

 I just came back from teaching a workshop at the Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, Truro, Ma.
What a great place with  big light filled studios, great staff and a beautiful setting.

The first day after introductions, I began the class with a 30 drawings in 30 minutes exercise with some graphite, markers, pencils and erasers. After, we did a walk around looking and talking about the "work".  I made them each choose 5 of their least favorite drawings which I collected  and then gave out to the other participants. They had 20 minutes to rework them. It is a great way to loosen up and get out from under the" preciousness umbrella". There was some groaning, grunting and sighing but  the result was the inspiration for the rest of the week.
Next blog post!

Below are a sample  from that first day:

Love my R&F apron and their pigment sticks. Those come later.

 

Here  is smiling Pam!

Andy hard at work