March 2012
Miss Jenny here with her small and large paintings.
I would like to give a big HUG and a warm welcome to Miss Jenny. She is a wonderful artist that is now collaborating in the Oakville Painting Studio. By assisting in the Painting Class, we will have more opportunity to review all the members from a closer view.
Thank you Jenny, and please, don't stop painting. You are truly gifted! I appreciate your support and the kids also do.
Smiles all over only say YES! it is fun!
This is another of the things I love and appreciate so much. Jamie made this sketch on her free times back home. Thank you for sharing. It is important to practice. And if you love art, why not do it everywhere anytime!
Below we see Agnes, not only she is also a weaver besides from painting. Katie and Danielle are trying our the weaving as well. Congratulations. it is awesome to be creative.
Here, I would like to congratulate AGAIN all the wonderful masterworks these kids are displaying. For instance, Camila, our newest member is already showing and sharing her talents in art. This is her first exercise in acrylics. Its nice to see a composition of 3 kinds of apples? I guess the beautiful smile on her face shows how much she enjoyed writing her signature on it! Way to go Camila. Keep up!
Here you see her trying to finish to show her parents...
Below we can see another lovely smile. This time from Helena. She and her brother were busy working on flowers. Colourful, bright. and the challenge was to try watercolour techniques on acrylic base paint.
They both did a wonderful job, and they got it! the effect on the back ground branches looked really great! keep up kids.
Another wonderful couple of siblings here below share their exercises. I love the sketching and the colour they use.
Here below is Alicia. She is in the task of decorating her room with colourful paintings. Her choices are, as always full of life, colour and texture. I love her paintings, especially because she takes her time to choose what she really wants to work in.
And talking about Alicia, why don't we also include her BFF Taylor. You should see her wonderful elephant. It was almost alive in the canvas.
Her beautiful smile reflects her satisfaction. It was given to her piano teacher and it is such a generous act that it has even more value to it in the overall!
Way to go my Dear Taylor.
What can be more transparent and cheerful than a sincere laugh from a 2 and a half year old artist!...just fantastic. An image speak more than words....feel the art in you!
And here we see another wonderful lovely smile just makes my day shine!
This little girl is fantastic! her sketches are clear and really demonstrate her use of a white space. Proportion, shape and detail is all it takes, and she made them wonderful.
Now it is time for Agnes again. This beautiful girl has a strange fascination towards pigs...yes, PIGS! She has calendars gloves, hats, images, and now... not only her art is shown in paintings, but she has managed to do her own fingernails with tiny pigs...I love it when the art class expands towards everything you do in your life.
Way to go Agnes! really creative, congratulations. They look fantastic!
What can I say about Katie. We have seen her again and again in the blog. She is a sweet girl that has really good hand for detail. This deer is amazing!
Congratulations Katie. That smile reflects everything you are.!
Now, here below we see Danielle...She worked really hard to paint this composition. It comes inspired in a painting from the Fifteen Century Flemish Still Life.
Her details in the porcelain, the cheese and the glass where practiced over and over again until she got this wonderful painting. I know sometimes the themes I choose for the class might be a bit challenging, but I know the potential of these wonderful kids. I know what they are all capable of and regardless the age, they can accomplish amazing artworks!
Below a wonderful landscape in progress from this small sweet girl. She has the most wonderful sweet smile, and I love the way she gets absorbed into her painting!
What would be better that to be one-on-one with your instructor. Here we see them working together, with Miss Myriam from the toddlers Art class.
So far 2012 has been a very creative and busy month for the Oakville Arts Studio. What can I say but a huge apologize for not being able to catch up with all the works being produced in the Studio! You guys just are awesome. You deserve each one a special note for all your efforts class after class.
Where should I start?
First by giving a BIG congratulation to each and every one of you who have accomplished to finish your works. Themes have varied from Dutch still life inspirations to collage-abstract paintings! Wow, what a diverse universe of themes!
To start with the personal notes, I want to congratulate especially Camellia, Camie (as I love to call her) not only has been demonstrating exercise after exercise her thirst to learn new techniques and themes, but also was the First one to take the task in preparing a presentation to the Class.
I have been teaching for many years and I can tell you that standing in front of an audience (whatever the size) it is always challenging.
I remember my first painting exhibition back in 1979!
I remember that even though I was surrounded of friends and relatives (like seen here in this pictures with my 2 grandmas) I remember having to say some words in front of everyone. Simple things such as:
What do you like to paint, what is your favourite technique? When did you start? Who is your favourite artist? ...
I remember I was so scared, I was turning 11 years old and very shy at that time (thank god things have changed a bit), but also I was never asked to do that in front of so many people.
That’s why I came up with these simple questions for the kids to explore, and to share with the group.
We all enjoyed her presentation that came from the heart. That is exactly what I want them to pursue in this time exposed to their peers.
I can be talking and talking...and talking about styles, techniques, periods in Art, interesting artists...etc. But what I have found in these presentations is that the kids relate their stories with the other in THEIR OWN WORDS
I, through this, not only help them to prepare for the future in a way that presentations will always be coming in their daily life, both professional and personal, but also I want them to feel comfortable standing in front of people who enjoy similar things and that they can share their own experience, and it is also how I can measure what they are learning. It gives me a baton to see where I should put more effort in teaching.
I loved the way she referred to the impressionists and I could get to know her a bit better, deeper in her tastes and likes. Through this, the other students could see that it is possible to stand in front of the class and express themselves not only through painting but also through verbal language.
In a near future, our programme will start incorporating this skill which I believe is also amazing. We will be working on narrative and illustrating our own stories. This will allow us to develop skills in oral expression and the ability to abstract our thoughts and project them in paper (whatever the technique may be: ink, pencil sketch, coloured pencil, acrylics)
Another advantage of these small talks or presentations is that at school they are asked to present speeches. Certain theme and they are MARKED! Here there are any kinds of pressure except with themselves, so once again Thank you Camie for you time, interest and heart you put into it.
Congratulations Camie and thank you for being the FIRST to DARE! I loved your words and If I can have your permission I would love to publish your letter. So touching and sincere.
Yes, SKETCH CLASS!
From time to time and in between paintings I really like to focus on sketching and the importance of the basic skills of drawing. In this class we go little by little depending on the theme exploring traces, lines, hatching.
One of our first exercises is precisely light/shadow simple shaped volumes and the positive / negative lights on white and coloured paper.
Gradually we incorporate through sketch other shapes such as hands and different positions of the fingers,
drawing the face in several positions, human body
and analysis of movement, textures (examples of bushes, landscapes, furs) , vanishing points; then we would go to composition through simple landscapes.
So far, the sketching class has been challenging for some for they just looove to paint and make their own mixes, but I always WANT TO MARK THE IMPORTANCE OF SKETCHING!
For this theme, I selected one image:
Sarah and Nicole expressing their happiness while signing their paintings inspired in a still life from the Flemish school of the 15th Century.
Maddison sharing a wonderful smile afther accomplishing her exercise. Once again, the theme was not easy, but you kids are up for the challenge! Way to go my Dear maddy!!!
I know that it is a very complex painting. The skill to do this is particularily amazing, but I want, through this example to work on different details:
Laces,
transparencies,
gradation of background, textured figures
I decided to fragment this painting and talk about the masters of the light!
Rembrandt, Vermeer, .....examples of dutch painters and their period.
Light and shadow....
I know some just joined the Studio, but little by little and by sharing the experience of detailing of each other I am able to show them all how to approach these details for their own projects.
Through these fragments, we are starting to see the results:
In this space I would like to congratulate Luca, Nicholas, Jamie, Camie, Lauren and Bella.Bella is the newest of the Studio and this happens to be her fisrt painting! Way to go Bella!
Not only they finished their interpretation of the fragment they chose but they also talked about their own experience in a small preswetnation. Once again, a BIG HUG!! To all. I love the way you referred to the class regarding your strengths, your experience and your troubles along the way. Almost everyone shared their struggle to do their signature! I guess we will have to work on calligraphy with brushes or some excercises that can facilitate their signing.
I also like the way they expressed their understanding about light and that this period in Art will have an impact in their work.
15 century painting, especially from this region (The Netherlands) where not only prolific in art but also they created an important style and a way to see the objects through a different light.
Lauren worked hard on textures and gradation, but enjoyed working with spounge.
Luca did a woinderful job on the cheese.
He mentioned he even wanted to give a bite. And the way he detailed the porcelain plate was really nice.
What can I say about Nicholas.
A special recognition not only because he did a wonderful job on the reflection of the apple and the use the of the sponge.
Yes! now time for abstract painting and collage!!! Yeah!
Agnes , Danielle and Vicky explored different materials to put into their collage and then covering it with gesso. Really fun and creative. Congratulations Ladies! fun and creative!
Felicidades Quinn. Tus esfuerzos comienzan a rendir sus frutos
And now, our Toddlers group!
My tribute to Tom Thompson is what we are all working now. Through this landscape I encourage the young artists to observe nature through one of the most representatives Canadian Artists.
More than 63 landscapes on his production, Thompson started as a businessman but decided to dedicate his life to painting.
Here we can see these siblings getting inspired through colour.
