Learning to Draw, Old School Style Part 4 and 5

I didn't get a chance to write about my drawing class last week. We spent the class drawing in our terminaters, the lines where light starts to no longer "hit" the form, and then shading in the sides of the line that were in shadow. We were to keep the shadow simple and just fill the area in as dark as we could. This left the drawing looking pretty graphic-like. It gave the person distinct darks and lights, with nothing in between.

After class number 4.

When we were filling in the shadow, Sadie mentioned that even if we got the area dark, we would probably need to darken it more once we modeled the light side. I remember thinking "Yeah right, this is pretty dark. I'll probably have to lighten it." Well once we started the modeling process during class 5, it became very obvious that she was right. My darks weren't dark enough. I did have to go back and darken them. If you look at his right thigh that I filled in last week, it looks pretty light in comparison to the part of his torso in shadow that I just completed. 

After class number 5.

I am pretty happy with the way my drawing is starting to look three dimensional. (Doesn't that torso look pretty cool?? And I'm not even done with it yet!) It's not an easy process and has taken multiple steps and a LOT of patience to get just to this point. We only have one class left to finish this drawing and most of us won't even get close, just like Sadie said. I would have never thought that six 4 hour classes would not be enough to finish ONE drawing. I should know by now that Sadie is always right.

Photos from "Cinema Verite" at JoAnne Artman Gallery

This past Thursday was my opening at JoAnne Artman Gallery in Laguna Beach. It was an early start as my husband and I woke up at 4am that day in order to start driving by 5am and make it to the opening. Okay, so we didn't really have to leave so early, but I wanted to get there by noon, stop by the gallery before the opening to see if any wax needed "touching up" or polishing, and check into our hotel.

The trip down there went surprisingly pretty quick (only 6 hours!) as we listened to "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain on the drive down. It was a good book to listen to because I could zone in and out and still be entertained without feeling like I missed something. Most books on MP3 I have a hard time following since the stories are pretty linear. You zone out for a second and you miss an important part, and since it's not like actually reading a book, where you can turn back the page and reread it, you zone out and miss a part, well you're just screwed. Good luck "rewinding" and finding the part you missed. This book, if you haven't read it, was more like little vignettes, which made it perfect for a long drive south. Of course, now after listening to this book, we think twice about where we eat and on what day of the week we go out to dinner...

We made it to the gallery just before noon, and was greeted very warmly by JoAnne. She showed us around the gallery (which is made up of three good sized rooms, not including the back room or storage room). The front room is where my work was hung and the show looked good. I was pretty excited. Some of the paintings did have a few flaws that I wanted to repair, so I got out my blow torch and went to work. I had forgotten my mask that I use so that I don't inhale the propane from the torch (my face is pretty close to the torch since I am examining the wax pretty closely) and perhaps it was that, or my lack of food (I had eaten 5 hours ago and was missing lunch), but suddenly, I didn't feel so well. I managed to sit down before I started to black out for a few seconds. I sat for a few minutes and got back up, only to have it happen again. We decided that it was time for me to stop using the torch and get some food, before heading to the hotel to rest, perhaps even take a nap. I didn't want to be "that girl" and pass out during my own art reception!

Lunch was had and a nap was taken. I still felt a little "weird in my head" (okay, insert all the jokes you want about my being already "weird in the head" here) but I was doing pretty well for someone who blacked out earlier. I was going to make it through the night.

The reception went well. There was a live band to entertain everyone in the front room, next to my art, where they played covers of rock classics. People flowed in and out steadily, asking questions about the art, looking around. It was a great two hours of art viewing and chatting with the crowd. The ladies at the gallery did a wonderful job! The show will run until the end of November so if you are in town, stop by!

Installation shot...

More installation shots....

People starting to come into the gallery.

My husband!

My little brother, John, drove an hour to come to my reception. Love that kid!

Photograph by Brooke Shaden, which were all in the second room.

Another shot of Brooke Shaden's work in the second room of the gallery.

Brooke Shaden (left) with Erin and Taylor, the lovely ladies of JoAnne Artman Gallery.

JoAnne Artman watching the band.

Two Opening Receptions This Week!

I have two shows opening up this Thursday, one in San Francisco and one in Laguna Beach. If you are in either area, come on by!

"Girl Group" at ArtHaus Gallery in San Francisco, CA

An evolving exhibition of works

in various media by California

and New York Women Artists

Featuring works by: Andrea Arroyo,

Jhina Alvarado, Tracey Kessler,

Susaye Greene, Camille Eskelle,

Maxine Solomon, Jan Blythe, Carolyn

Meyer, Serena Bocchino, Joanne Landis,

Carol Massa, Chris Schiavo, Astrid,

Suzanne Benton and Deborah Brown

"Cinema Verite" at JoAnne Artman Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA

Ci·né·ma-vé·ri·té: the art or technique of filming a motion picture so as to convey candid realism;  a style of documentary filmmaking, combining naturalistic techniques with stylized cinematic devices of editing and camerawork, staged set-ups, and the use of the camera to provoke subjects; also known for taking a provocative stance toward its topics to present in a confrontational way.

JoAnne Artman Gallery, Presents in the Main Gallery: “Cinéma Vérité.” Featuring San Francisco Painter Jhina Alvarado and Los Angeles Photographer Brooke Shaden.October 6, 2011 – November 30, 2011

JoAnne Artman

326 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach

My New Easel!

I realize that it's just an easel and really nothing to get excited about, but I'M EXCITED ABOUT MY NEW EASEL!!! It's HUGE and sturdy. I think this will last me for awhile.

A few of my students stopped by my open studio and saw the parts
 to the easel sitting in the corner. It was in a million pieces so they offered to build it for me.

Jack and Valerie did a great job building the easel.

My 36"x24"painting looks so tiny on my easel!

Broken Easel and Open Studios

The painting I am still working on...I was so close to
 being finished when my easel broke!

Yesterday as I was trying to finish my latest painting before this weekend's open studios, my easel decided that it would be a good time to break. It was already falling apart and I guess it decided enough was enough. It would no longer work for me. The top bar that holds the top of my painting in place had a stripped screw (which I had already replaced once) which no longer tightened and held my painting securely. This hadn't worked for months but I was still able to use the easel despite the broken piece.

Now the bottom part of my easel, the part that my panel sits on, no longer works. The screws won't tighten so the bottom keeps falling off, and there is nothing to hold my panel to my easel. This happened in the middle of painting yesterday. In order to complete the part I was working on, I had to balance the panel on my knee while it leaned against the back of my now useless easel. After about 30 minutes of trying to paint this way, I gave up.

Since the top and bottom parts that hold my panel in place no longer work, I now have a very interesting coat rack in my studio instead of a much needed easel. Because of this, I will be shopping for an easel today when I should really be finishing my painting. There are so many things that need to get done before this weekend, and now I have this added to the list.

Speaking of this weekend, please stop by open studios and take a look at my "new" coat rack! Oh, and check out my art too. There will be 30 other artists, in addition to myself, showing off what we do to anyone who stops by. Did I mention the free snacks??

Open Studios

October 1st and 2nd, 11-6pm

at Art Explosion Studios

2425 17th Street @ Potrero

San Francisco, CA

An Angry-Looking Child

Fall Open Studios is this weekend and I am "frantically" (okay, maybe not so frantically, more like enthusiastically) trying to finish two paintings that are in progress. With the large amount of shows I have at the moment, I don't have much work to display in my studio this year so I'd like to finish these two pieces so that I can have SOMETHING on my walls. Today I worked on my umbrella painting. I worked on the girl to the right and the child in the middle.

The child in the middle, as you have probably noticed, looks pretty angry. She is not happy about whoever her mother seems to be talking to (at least that's the story it's telling in my head). I think I did a good job of capturing her disapproval but perhaps I need to tone it back a little. I will probably lighten her face up a bit so that there is less contrast. I'm thinking that will soften her features and not make her looks so "evil". I don't want to get rid of the look on her face completely. I still want her to look mad because I think it tells a story (and she does look mad on the photograph). I like this story, but perhaps I can make her look less like the "bad seed". (You remember that movie, right?)

It's weird how just a few strokes changed her look. If you look at the image below, she looks mildly perturbed. A little darkening under her eyes (in addition to a few other adjustments) and we have  whole new attitude! I am enjoying this painting and can't wait to get back to painting it tomorrow!

For those of you who would like to see this painting in person, stop by open studios this weekend!

San Francisco Fall Open Studios, 2011

Saturday and Sunday, October 1st and 2nd

11-6pm

@ Art Explosion Studios

2425 17th Street at Potrero

San Francisco, CA

I will be in studio #68 so stop by and say Hi!

Learning to Draw, Old School Style Part 3

Today was day three of my classical figure drawing class with Sadie Valeri. We learned that there are no parallel lines in nature. Because of this, I had to go back and eliminate any lines that looked parallel and look for tapered lines to replace them with. These small changes made my drawing look less "mechanical"/ stiff and more organic/ natural. I am also at the point where I am starting to refine my drawing and make it look more like this specific model, rather than a generic sitting man. I am trying to add in the "essence" of this man, making him distinguishable from anyone else. During this I am still making head to toe relationships as I refine each area. I am looking for similar curves that allow the limbs and body to "flow" together. These small adjustments took up most of the class and I am still not done. I am hoping that next class I will have the contour drawing completed and can start working on some shading.

I never thought that I could spend this much time on one drawing. I am, and have always been, a quick painter. Perhaps this is because I don't have any formal art training so I don't "see" the mistakes that need to be fixed. I don't see flaws that perhaps others may see, which means I can finish faster. This drawing class is not only teaching me to "see" better so that I can recognize what is not working, but I am also learning patience. Maybe this patience will carry into my everyday life. I am sure my husband and students would greatly appreciate that!