# 12 Art Class - Acrylic on Canvas

It was our last week this semester. Unfortunately only two students were able to make it for this class. It was time to paint on a stretched canvas - acrylic on canvas. Last week I asked if they would prefer to paint from their imagination or look at a still life. Still life was the clear answer, so I made a little arrangement with a vase w/ dry yellow flowers, a book, a pomegranate and a (lit) candle.

The atmosphere was very calm and focused, it was cold and dark outside and very cosy inside. Both boys worked concentrated - I really tried to force them to LOOK at the arrangement, not just assume. To use their pencil to measure the different objects to each other, and also pay attention to light and shadow. They took their time, changed detail when they realized it wasn’t right. A lot of work and very little giggle! The two hours were spent well, we had perfect time to finish the pieces, talk about each one afterward, and we even had time to play with Playdoh the dog, who was not happy about being placed in the basement while the class was going on. He came up to say hello!

Later this week or early next week, the student’s work will be on display at the Metuchen Library.

I will offer two make up classes in the beginning of December, I will post into on the themes at a later date.

# 11 Art Class - Still Life

This week was an “open week”. I wanted to keep one week available to add a sudden idea for a project or a surprise. I had asked the students if there was something they would be interested in doing in particular... A few mentioned that they like to finish up older pieces from previous weeks, but none of them actually brought anything along when Tuesday came along. I had a feeling this would happen, so I prepared a Still Life class, using color pencils combined with water color.

I have noticed that they like working with Still Life - they enjoy having an object/arrangement to look at, rather than making something up. I think that is great; they have to look and observe - great for bettering their drawing skills, as well as their focus.

I made a very traditional set up with a bowl of fruit and one of my personal treasures: a Royal Copenhagen Jug. I gave them a sheet of water color paper and they started drawing the arrangement. When the drawing was done, they added a bit of color with the color pencils and as the last step, they put water color on top. This created an interesting effect. We talked about how the two materials affected each other, how the pencils were great for shadow and the watercolor worked wall for the lighter part of the painting.

As always the results were very different, they each approached the subject as well as the materials very differently.

We only have one week left of the entire semester. Next week is a painting on a stretched canvas. After Thanksgiving I am having two make up classes.

# 2 Art Class

It has just been the second week of the Art Class for Kids, and we were going to explore Still-Life. Only two kids were able to make it for this class (the third one came on his own on Thursday instead) but I sensed that they both felt a bit less shy - definitely more talking and a bit more relaxed although it is still a very quiet group. I started out with a short slideshow, I wanted to show different still life; vases, flowers, fruits & drapery, but I also found a few more unusual subjects, such as dolls heads and an ipod!

I had a vase with sunflowers ready on the table, as well as a small fruit bowl. I didn’t want to restrict the elements they had to work from, and so pencils, paint brushes & erasers were used too. The main goal was that they really looked at the object, and painted what they saw, not just what they assumed they saw! And I think they all three did a really good job.

They did a few sketches first, to decide which of the object they wanted to concentrate on, and later moved on to a sheet of water color paper, where they first drew the object and then used water color.

Just like last week, I was impressed with their attention to detail, and the concentration they put in the painting. They each produced one really well made piece, apart from their beginning sketches.

Next week is people and charcoal...