Monday, March 24, 2014

Free Form Collage Week 6

A picture is worth a thousand words.
Free Form (Sometimes Fabric) Collage Class:
Barbara's book pages

Ann's city



Two of Kathy's mixed media canvases

Nancy: mixed media on paper

Ruth: ideas, materials, work in progress

Talking it out

Another class starts April 10. 
To join the fun, register now.
I'd love to see you there.


Sunday, March 16, 2014

Elder Art - Winter into Spring

Spring Trees, by Memory Care resident
 After a series of winter themes -polar bears, snow men, Christmas trees,  I told my class, Spring IS coming.  I told them about the cardinal I saw singing his heart out in a bare tree. Then we painted from this picture, borrowed from the internet and "cleaned up" in Photoshop, to simplify the image:

The search for basic shapes was almost too hard for my Memory Care class. The strong lines of the branch  distracted. Perhaps, too, the image should have been only of one bird. (One student painted both of them, tho.) But everyone worked hard. The students kept me so busy I forgot to take pictures until the second class, of Assisted Living residents, took their place:
 
The male
 This second group grows in numbers each week. As folks return, they bring questions, ideas, even work they did between classes. It is all so heartening. Here are some of their pieces after a short hour together:

The female. Wonderful color mixing.

Notice how the details -eyes and bill -tend to blur. This, I'm learning, is unavoidable when you combine the media (watercolor) with the short time and shaking hands. I'm exploring other options - colored pencils, markers - but must remember also to provide a means for correction. Suggestions, anyone?

Beautiful sketch
 They had such a good time they didn't want to stop for lunch. We hatched a plan for the following week, when they meet without me.
Ready for Spring
Everyone got a copy of the photo clipped to their painting. They will finish the images next week. A satisfying solution for everyone, including me.


Saturday, March 15, 2014

Freeform Fabric Collage Continues

contemplating the possibilities
 Half-way through our 8 weeks together,
 I asked the class to work from one source, three ways. 
This week, they picked their favorite from that series, and expanded on it. 
The project runs two weeks, with some sort of narrative structure as the  goal. 

creating the foundation
 The result: Intense quiet and fascinating work.
These students bring such energy to the evening.
hard at work

Each has a strong style, manifest in their palette and materials. 
The room feels like a lab: intense experiments at each table.

Start for cityscape
The gift of teaching is being surprised, 
over and over, 
by the new answers students find.

four small pages, right, based on larger piece, left
 They bring energy to even the smallest frame.

Big feeling, tiny canvas
They create work unique and amazing.

Slide-frame series
The "homework" is listen to favorite music, and think about structure: line, theme, supporting elements. Can't wait to see what happens next week.