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

Workshop at R & F

If you have a chance to see the Richard Serra show at the Met he is using paint sticks in many of the drawings in the exhibition. Process, surface, texture, gravity and physicality are explored.

Richard Serra (American, b. 1939)
out-of-round X, 1999
Private collection
© Richard Serra
Photo: Rob McKeever

In April, I was invited to be one of R&F Handmade Paints visiting artists to their workshop in Kingston, NY.  The  workshop “Pigment Sticks and Mixed Media” was  three days of exploration with R&F's oil sticks.  I use  them in my own work to paint and draw and also combine them with oil paint and encaustic. 

Thanks to all  my students!

Below are a few pictures from the workshop. 

The  clean studio

 

I like to start with a 30 minute, 30 drawing  introduction to materials and mark making. It is a great way to loosen up and  let go of fear and preciousness.

 Here are some examples of what happens when we move from smaller to bigger.

 Some examples of work done in the workshop and then back in the home studio.

workshop

 

                                                     studio

 workshop

workshop

studio