Well, Art is Art, isn’t it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know.
Groucho Marx
It is interesting to me that as we grow older and know what we know, taking classes from younger artists is not the best thing to do. It is my humble opinion that younger artists want to teach us their style and when we, as older artists do not want to appreciate and learn their style they do not understand our style. “Does that make sense” is a phrase I heard more than I ever want to hear in the last three days.
That said, I think that maybe Groucho knows more about producing art than a lot of our younger generation. OMG I have said something that might cause conflict.
This weekend I took a class, which I walked out of on Sunday and then Monday I took a class that I left early. It finally dawned on me that the teachers were selling their art, but I did not respect what they did, so how could I learn from someone I did not really respect. It is one thing to sell your art and another teach “good” art. Teachers should teach you to think about what you are doing, not quickly judge what you are doing and put it down. Maybe the lesson in this is to look at the art your proposed teachers are selling and see if you really love it. If you do not, or think it is trite or bad color or to “sell” only rather than to design something that years from this year will be respected, then you should not take the class.
In my case, in most classes I have taken I am one of the most successful in the class, so when I am one of the least successful in the class to what do I attribute that failure?
art classes
Quote for the Day
Yesterday I took an art class and was to take the second day of the series today, and I had such a negative reaction to how the class was taught I took the ferry to the city, packed up my paint supplies and went home. I couldn’t force myself to stay another day and feel that unsuccessful about my art. I made a comment on my Facebook page and it seems I am not the only artist that has had that happen.
I respect the artists work that I took the class from, but to every explanation she asked: “Does that make sense?” For some reason hearing that statement over and over again was something I could not handle.
Lately I have been so busy taking classes from other people, I am not spending time on my own work. I thought it would be fun to take a lot of different classes, but I forgot with that are a lot of different styles.
When I realized after a long walk on the beach with my son and my husband, I enjoy the social part of a class as much, if not more than often what I learn. So many classes are repetitious with the only variance being a different point of view.
I had not idea how many experts there are on art until I started taking classes. Yes that was a rhetorical statement.
Eat Ice Cream
What a fun weekend taking a collage class with a lot of fun women. Never done any of this before and Kat DeBose was a great teacher. I used a lot of photos from my travels and decided rather than approach it as an art form to use it as a way to express satire.
Note in this one, the man is walking on water, or so he thinks and women enjoying their Ice Cream say to one another “Let him go”.
Tell me what you think of the idea! Might make a fun series of cards?
Don’t forget to check out my website at http://www.dianakingsley.net
Drawing Class
Every artist should take a drawing class to hone their skills. Drawing. Drawing. Drawing. Every art teacher tell you that you have to draw before you can paint or watercolor. You have to get the drawing right.
This weekend I took a wonderful class on portraiture with Dan Riley and Joe MacKenchie, both respected Seattle artists.
Two teachers and five dedicated artists! It was great fun, exhausting and the perfect way to spend a rainy weekend.
Best to Walk Away
Had this happen not long ago, but I actually walked away from the situation and said nothing at the time. Now I didn’t say I did nothing. : )
Little painting to celebrate the season!!
Looked at a lot of quotes about Christmas, but nothing captured my heart. Christmas is a lot more to me than a crooked candle and a lot of ornaments.
Hope you fell that way too! Memories and smiles and new beginnings…..
Where is the Poe?
New Show at Edmonds Vision for the Month.
Edmonds Art Walk last night. Stop by Edmonds Vision and see the show.
Boat painting needs name
It is starting to leave summer and turn into fall. You can feel it in the air. For me that means I feel less guilty about spending less time in my garden and more in my studio.
Isaac Asimov wrote: “Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.”
To me painting is letting my fingers bring the thoughts from my mind to the canvas.
My Art Studio
Where you work and create is so different for every artist. Light, a great view, color, warmth, music and good easels all help make a space more inviting.
As I often work from photographs that I personally take, I need to be able to see them, so the television screen is great for that.
I love surrounding myself with my favorite art books, and a couple comfortable chairs to sit and enjoy them. Friends come by to paint, making the space even more cozy.