Painting Class

 Here is a very late post filled with finished works produced in my painting class this last winter semester. I learned to work with oils, stretch canvas, make my own wood panels, and various painting techniques. The above triplet is a portrait of author Franz Kafka done three ways.

Above and below are two grasaille paintings - studies of light and shadow.

This one I've named "Chairries" and it is a fusion of two different artists' styles, colors, composition and techniques.

Many classmates seemed to really like this bird collage. My teacher encouraged me to frame it, but first I need wall space to hang it....not much to go around in this little apartment.

 This simple apple still life might be my favorite of all. Figuring out how to paint the shaft of light while working in the studio at midnight was a surreal experience. It felt God-like to create light in the darkness.

 This last one was an exploration of layering techniques. It was interesting to me that in the process of layering and stripping paint on a panel, certain symbols for my life started to emerge unintended.

The apple represents choice

This honeycomb pattern, which actually happened by accident, represents my new home = The Beehive State.

The plethora of "4" is the new number of humans in my family covering up the old number of humans in my family. 4 is a very dear number to me. 

Part of the panel has a dark glaze over it, contrasting the lighter portion. Life has definitely taught me the difference between light and darkness. Both have their purpose.

Learning all I did in this class has encouraged me to paint more when I eventually get the time. Right now I am in the middle of my ethnographic field work studying the Daughters of Utah Pioneers museums which is a 40+ hour a week job, with late nights and semi-attention deprived children. 

One day, I will paint again. A girl can dream, right?

New Favorite Quote

One of the first things we read in my Anthropology Contemporary Theory class last semester was the King Follett Sermon by Joseph Smith, Jr. It's an address he gives at a friend's funeral about the nature of God and it is profound. If you get the chance, you should take the time to read it.

For what better way to understand the nature of man, than to understand the nature of God?

And since I love books so much, I thought it was a good reminder to keep the Holy Ghost with me at all times. He is the best self-help, advice, therapy, and choose-your-own-adventure book in the universe for he speaks TRUTH. And to me, personal revelation is more beautiful and real than any book I have ever read. And you can be certain there will be a happily ever after.

~Britten

Figure Drawings

End of semester 3 hour drawing - vine charcoal and conté 

So I'd say that my drawing has improved. Last semester I took a Figure Drawing for Illustrators class and it proved to me what drawing for 6-8 hours a week, with professional guidance from my lovely teacher, Erin Meads, can do. There is a 10,000 hours rule - if you work on improving a talent for 10,000 hours you WILL get amazing results. Plain and simple. Line upon line. One hour at a time. It's not a philosophy or opinion to be debated. It's a law of the universe. 

Now, I just need more time.

I thought I would post pictures of my progress from the beginning of the semester to the end to illustrate my improvement.

 This drawing was done a few semesters before taking the class in a live gesture drawing session.

This was a sustained pose done on the first day of class. This is the first sustained pose from life I had done in over 15 years. I was a little rusty.

Gesture drawings beginning to mid-semester.

Sustained poses mid-semester

Gestures and sustained poses mid-semester to end of semester

End of the semester portraits and sustained poses

This one is my favorite of all.

Erin Meads is a wonderful teacher. Tremendously positive and encouraging, she gave such soft criticism  while pointing out my strengths that only made me want to work harder. Because of her tutoring, I finally feel like a real artist.

To view some of Erin's work, you can visit her blog: Erin Meads

Happy New Year! Come Monday, I start painting for 6-8 hours a week. 

Wish me luck!