Tuscan Mural Project Revealed

It's been months in the making, but the protective top coat is on and the Tuscan mural project is finally complete.  Thanks to the McCune's for trusting me with a feature wall in their family room and allowing me to transport their home and family members to an Italian countryside.  The goal was warm earthy golds and browns, deep greens, and fields of red poppies.  The three children and the beloved family dog (my painting buddy on many days) were to be picking poppies in the field. 

I don't have the best pictures at the moment, so these will have to do.

The "Before" picture - this wall stuck out from everything
else around it, just begging for a mural treatment.

The far hill went through several stages of green before finding
the right one. 

The final result (except for the blue tape - now removed)

Detail of the kids and dog - couldn't get a good shot because of
glare even without the flash.  So, I'll have to update this one later.

New Spring Semester Classes Beginning in January

Skill-Builders 2: Let There Be Light
Creating the Illusion of 3-Dimensions with Line, Shape, and Value

Ages 10 years and older (or with instructor permission) *Best for students from Skill-Builder 1 or beginning students - young and old - with an interest in art* `
Tuesdays 3:00-4:15 beginning January 24^th (8 Meetings)

This class will continue to explore the “ABC’s” of drawing through hands-on exercises, observation, and discussion. Concepts presented will include 3-D forms and their relationship to everyday objects/figures, the study of light and its effect on objects, shading options, creating a full range of values with graphite and charcoal pencils, and cast shadows. Like the Skill-Builders 1 class, students will create a skills sketchbook, recording their discoveries throughout the session. They will also create their own “value scale” to take and use on their own .

EARLY BIRD RATE: $50 per 1^st student (register by December 31st); $35 per additional sibling
$60 per 1^st student (January 1^st and beyond); $45 per additional sibling


(New) Faces in Time

Ages 6-11 (or with instructor permission)
Thursdays 2:30-3:30 beginning January 26^th (8 meetings)

Kids will enjoy traveling through time on this journey through history and the study of portraiture. Our journey will include Ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Greece, the Italian Renaissance, and 20^th Century modern. We will study how the face was depicted in these different eras AND how to draw the basic features in their proper places. Besides drawing, we will also use materials such as air-dry clay, collage, paper mosaic, and paint!

EARLY BIRD RATE: $55 per 1^st student (register by December 31st); $40 per additional sibling
$65 per 1^st student (January 1^st and beyond); $50 per additional sibling


(New) COLOR BLAST!

Ages 11 years and older (or with instructor permission)Skill-Builders 3: Basic Color helpful, but NOT required - new students welcome
Thursdays 3:30-4:45 beginning January 26^th (8 meetings)

This class picks up where Skill-Builders 3: Basic Color left off, taking a turn toward the wild side. There will be some review of basic color theory as needed, but the focus will be on the psychological, emotional, and expressive use of color. Topics in this class include looking at the color wheel in terms of “value,” practice working with a limited color palette, and the historic use of expressive color, particularly early 20^th century painting.

EARLY BIRD RATE: $55 per 1^st student (register by December 31st); $40 per additional sibling
$65 per 1^st student (January 1^st and beyond); $50 per additional sibling

New Art Class Listings- Sign Up Now for EARLY BIRD prices!

Join us for these fun, creative classes before the holidays!  Just 5 weeks so they will end in the first week of December.

(New) Mini Skill-Builders: Exploring Art
Ages 4-6
Tuesdays beginning November 8th (5 meetings) 2:00-2:50

This class is the perfect introduction to art ideas and materials for the youngest artists. Kids will be encounter art skills, concepts and materials in a “no pressure” atmosphere with emphasis on exploration rather than outcome. Some of the materials used will include oil pastel, chalk pastel, paint, and collage. Concepts and skills practiced will include drawing, coloring and cutting basic shapes.

Early Bird Registration: $35 per first student; $20 per additional student (same family)

Registration After Nov. 1st: $45 per first student; $30 per additional student

　

(New) ATC's: Artist Trading Cards
Ages 10-adult
Tuesdays beginning November 8th (5 meetings) 3:00-4:00
*Note that because this is more of a “studio” class, this class is open to a wide age range of students. Open-ended lessons are planned to offer inspiration and direction, but the student is free to explore the materials based on their own abilities.

Welcome to the world of “ATC’s” - an international art trend started in the 90’s in which artists create small original works of art to trade with others. Students will create custom art trading cards using a variety of materials such as oil pastel, watercolor, color pencil, paint and collage. The only rule behind the ATC movement is that cards measure 2 ½” x 3 ½” and that cards be traded but not sold (or you can keep them for yourself). Each student will receive a plastic trading card protector sheet in which to keep their cards.

Early Bird Registration: $45 per first student; $30 per additional student (same family)

Registration After Nov. 1st:  $55 per first student; $40 per additional student

(New) Christmas Around the World
Ages 6-12
Thursdays beginning November 10th (5 meetings) 3:30-4:30

It’s almost Christmas and there’s no better time to take a little trip around the world. We will “visit” 4 or 5 countries, learn about their Christmas traditions and how say “Merry Christmas” in the native languages, and create a simple holiday craft from that country. This will be a fun, light-hearted, and interesting way to ring in the season.

Early Bird Registration:  $45 per first student; $30 per additional student (same family)

Registration After Nov. 1st:  $55 per first student; $40 per additional student

Back to School Art Classes Beginning September 2011!

 

Register NOW for the first round of classes coming this fall!  This is a great opportunity to learn about art, artists, history, drawing and painting techniques, and MORE!  Just e-mail to register...

 (New) Skill-Builders Jr.
Super Shapes -
The Building Blocks
of Drawing

Tuesdays 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Ages 6-10 years (or with instructor permission)

Come and discover how 2-dimensional shapes transform into 3-dimensional forms! Through visual examples from various artists, games, and discussion, beginning artists will learn to identify and render the sphere, cube, cone, pyramid, and cylinder. Kids will create their own “Book of Shapes” and will practice assembling some common objects in drawings, achieving the illusion of real space on a flat page.

Class Size Limit 10
8 week session beginning September 13th
$50 per 1^st student (supplies included)
$35 per additional sibling (immediate family/same class)

Skill-Builders 1: Basic Drawing

Tuesdays 3:30-5:00 p.m.

Ages 9 years and older

This class is for both the artistic and artistically-challenged. Students will explore the “ABC’s” of drawing with line and shape, basic concepts of composition, the simple impact of line variation, the usefulness of negative space, tricks to building simple and complex imagery, and more. Although we will complete one or two “finished” works, please note that the goal of this class is not to generate a stack of frame-able art pieces. Instead, students will create a skills sketchbook, recording their discoveries throughout the session. At this point, more emphasis is placed on understanding the processes and concepts than achieving a perfect result.

Class Size Limit 12
8 week session beginning September 13th
$50 per 1^st student (supplies included)
$35 per additional sibling (immediate family/same class)

　

(New)   Skill-Builders 3: Basic Color (pt. 1)

Thursdays 3:30-5:00 p.m.

Ages 11 years and older

Junior high and high school students will dive into the rich world of color! We will explore basic color theory by starting with making a color wheel. Students will create a skills reference book that includes the modern vs. traditional primary colors, secondary and tertiary colors, neutrals, and the effects of light and shadow on color. Other hands-on practice will focus on the use of color throughout history, recipes for various flesh tones, and more! Most lessons will use liquid watercolor, pan watercolor, and tempera paint. Note: Part 2 will be offered in the spring; part 1 not required, but recommended.

Class Size Limit 12

8 week session beginning September 15th
$55 per 1^st student (supplies included)
$40 per additional sibling (immediate family/same class)

Spring Classes Come to an End with Creative Modern Portraits

The Face to Face: Deconstructing the Portrait class ended in an explosion of color inspired by artists like Picasso and Jean Michel Basquiat. 


Medusa



I hope all the students have a great summer and hope to see you in the fall (or join me for summer classes!)

Announcing the Summer Art Class Program

Doodlebird Studio will continue to offer art classes this summer!  Please note that these classes meet daily rather than weekly.  Registration is now open for the following:

by 8 year old students

(NEW) Super Sculpted Maskmaking
June 20-24 (M-F)      
11:00-noon     
ages 8-13
This goes beyond the typical mask through the use of paper mache, air-dry clay, paint, and wide variety of multi-media decorations.  Students will design and sculpt a mask - human, animal, or fantasy character - that can be displayed as a 3-D wall-hanging.
$40 per 1st student (all supplies included)
$30 per additional sibling (immediate family only)

Linoleum Block Printing Workshop
July 18-22 (M-F)   12:00-1:30
ages 12-adultCome and explore the possiblities in working with carved linoleum block printing.  Students will design, carve, and ink one - or MORE - prints in this relaxed studio atmosphere.  Emphasis is placed on the safe use of tools and everyone gets to keep their blocks for future prints at home.
$40 per 1st student (all supplies included)
$30 per additional sibling (immediate family only

Skillbuilders Jr.
The Art Express: From Abstract to Realistic
July 18-28  (8 meetings M-Thur; no meetings on Fridays)
11:00-noon      
Ages 6-11
This fun beginners class will take students on a journey through the standard  genres of art - the portrait, landscape, and still life - while introducing foundational skills.  Our first stop will be in abstraction where students will play with the elements of line and shape.  Each stop along the way will gradually lead to increased control of those essentials, ending in more realistic depiction of simple imagery.  Students will observe and discuss the work of selected artists and will explore materials such as pencil, ink, watercolor, collage and pastel.
$50 per 1st student (all supplies included)
$35 per additional sibling (immediate family only)

It's a Wrap - the Landscapes/Seascapes Class Comes to a Close

Just thought I'd share a few of the seascapes from this series of classes...

These seascapes were inspired by Winslow Homer with instruction on creating a reflection in the water and the characteristics of watercolor.  I had a great time, kids!  Hope you did, too.

Joshua's



Jaron's



Nathan's



Caleb's - I think...



Krystine's



Checking in With the Teen Portraits "Deconstructed" Class...



Hannah's feeling a little 2-dimensional today...

 Today was the halfway mark for the "Face to Face: Deconstructing the Portrait" class, so I thought I'd share some of the students' work.

The first several meetings of this class focused on works from the Renaissance and the study of realistic proportions and facial features.


And they practiced profile proportions



Students practiced frontal proportions...

 




Putting it all together in a Self Portrait

 


Proportion Practice



From there, we jumped ahead to the late 19th and early 20th centuries where artists began to "play" and experiment with style and approach.  For the examples shown here, the artist Amedeo Modigliani was in the spotlight and his work was used as our inspiration as we began to distort and abstract the portrait.   

Great work kids - I look forward the the next project!



A work in progress...

 


Great color - unique interpretation!



Project 1 - Amazing Landscapes!

Claire...after she'd washed the layer of multi-color pastel off her face

The spring round of art classes has begun!  We're off to a great start in the NEW By Land and Sea Class (projects inspired by landscape, seascape, and cityscape artists).  I have to say that I thought all of my 11 students did an amazing job on their first project (much better than my example). 



Caleb's serene and painterly setting



Nathan's tranquil scene...but watch out for TWO volcanoes in the background

 We learned about horizon lines, highlights, layering, foreground, middle ground, and background space in a multi-media project (watercolor underpainting with chalk pastel).  Our artist in the spotlight was Henri Rousseau.

Claire's night vision

I'm particularly delighted by the differences in results, even though this was a guided project.  All I can say is I can't wait to see what the next 6 weeks will bring!  Well done, kids - I wish I could show everyone's work right now, but I'll save some for later!

Aubre, our youngest student



Caleb and Joshua, hard at work

Scenes From Current Doodlebird Classes...

We've passed the halfway point for this round of classes - a great group of kids working hard!  Great job kids!

SkillBuilder 2 - Let There Be Light!


Studying Value



Student Work

SkillBuilder 1 - Basic Drawing




Smiles All Around



Single thick/thin line drawing

 
SkillBuilder Jr. - Color Carnival
(photos courtesy of Jill Martin Photography)

Working with primary colors



How 'bout some secondary colors?





Ta-daaa!

Color Mixing

  

New This Spring: Face to Face - Deconstructing the Portrait

 

Pablo Picasso
1938

Elisabeth-Louise
Vigee-Lebrun
1790



This art adventure will begin by learning the proper proportion of the face while looking at the work of Renaissance artists. Students will create a self-portrait, practicing their skills of observation and rendering facial features. But, kids who struggle with realistic drawing need not fear - we will spend the rest of the course exploring more modern, expressive, and abstract approaches to the portrait. Concepts like exaggeration, expressive vs. natural color, line, shape, and pattern will be discussed and practiced through drawing, painting, and possibly collage. Students will create portraits in the style of artists like Modigliani, Warhol, and Picasso.

Ages 11 and older (or with instructor permission)

1 ½ hour classes - 10 Weeks
$65 per 1^st student (supplies included)
$45 per additional sibling (immediate family/same class)

Class Size Limit 12

New This Spring: Art by Land and Sea

This creative class will lead students through a variety of projects using the land and sea as inspiration. While techniques for creating realistic space will be included, many of the activities will focus on more creative, expressive, and abstract approaches. There will be observation and discussion of famous artists working with this subject, and students will experiment with a variety of media, such as pastel, watercolor, collage, and more.

Recommended for ages 6-12 (or with instructor permission)
1 hour classes - 8 Weeks
Class Size Limit 12
$55 per 1^st student (supplies included)$35 per additional sibling (immediate family/same class)

Time Change for SkillBuilders 1 - Basic Drawing

The time of the THURSDAY drawing class beginning January 13th has been changed and will now meet from 3:00 to 4:30.  The time change applies to this class only.

There are still several spaces available for this class!  Perhaps the time adjustment will make this an option for a few more students.  Sign-up now to secure your spot!

Blessings