How to draw a portrait

So what happens when a group of my young students spend 30 minutes with me learning to draw a portrait? 
Well-l-l-l...why don't I let the "before and after" photos  below speak for them? :-) Drawn by my students, ages 7-14, the change is dramatic and inspiring. Results create motivation and that's what we want to achieve above all else.  The most motivated will continue to practice and practice and learn to see on their own. But in the meantime they were all pleased with what they did in just one class!

 

One group, under 10

Over 10

Pretty dramatic, huh? The point is that sometimes simply showing someone tips and techniques is all it takes for them to go to the next level. It is with most things and Art is no exception!

School and ART and new studios are starting!

Wow, where did the month of August go? Kids are already back in school!
Panic mode-must get out newsletters!

So THIS week our after school classes begin, http://www.artstudentacademy.com/After-School-Classes.html  
We have some new and exciting programs for the kids, so sign up for September now!

The weekend of Sept 7 and 8 is the Wake Forest Artist Guild tour. I can't call it a studio tour as it will all be concentrated in downtown Wake Forest, but I will be there painting portraits and showing the art room to parents both days!

We're expanding  a few of our art courses to include a serious classical training course at our Franklinton studio. It won't be a course for everyone as it is does NOT involve creativity-it involves discipline...lol, the way it used to be taught actually back in the Old Masters Day. We'll keep you posted!

We've added a smaller studio to our mini-farm...or maybe I should call it an Art Compound? What with our large art studio, the 2 story woodworking shop and now the smaller studio (re-purposed 12 x 20 storage building!) we'll need to re-think our parking areas!  Read all about the studios on my other blog: (http://www.mtheresabrown.blogspot.com/)

Shed being positioned after moving

Fall is a time for  art shows for us as well so it's incredibly busy! But we always find time for your questions....new 2 hour classes coming up on the calendar on our webpage!


STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES and
Have a Safe and Great LABOR DAY!

Our working art studio

Painting Mountains

Since my artist husband, Stephen Filarsky and I are full time artists, we must constantly coordinate our art schedules with our instruction schedules and it takes some serious organizing to do that!

Recently, we completed a show in the stunningly beautiful mountains of NC near Blowing Rock. It must be the cool weather combined with mountain vistas that is so inspirational but whatever it is we squeezed in a workshop for a group of ladies. Only one had painted before. The others were total beginners. Apparently a former group experience had not inspired confidence nor enthusiasm so it was fun to watch them not only create a beautiful painting but become enthused enough to later run out and purchase paint to continue their art studies!

Learning to paint is all about learning to"see". That was the missing component that no one had ever showed them. None of them will ever look at clouds or mountain vistas again without experiencing that "AHA!" moment when what we shared, clicked with them! And that is a good place to be for an artist of any skill level!  The tips and techniques we shared for painting mountain vistas is the same for ALL mountains whether it is the Blue Ridge, Adirondacks, Himalayas or the Rockies. Painting such a scene once and painting it well is often the inspiration needed for a beginner to become and enthusiast.  And painting is one hobby that can be enjoyed year round, at all ages and for minimal expense (compared to other hobbies!)

Happy Painters :-)

If your group would like us to to share our methods of instructing with them, contact us!
classes @ artstudentacademy.com  (just re-do without spaces!)

Art camp-suitable for adults!

The kids are having a great time in my ART camp in Henderson, NC. In fact, I have 16 students!
Today we studied seascapes and landscapes-quick and easy-and it was designed to help them move quickly, use a brush properly (you would be amazed!) and each skill built upon the previous one and we'll use the same techniques tomorrow.....but it did occur to me that adults could use the same series of projects to heighten THEIR art abilities :-) Just think-two hours each day for 5 days-think of what they could learn! So maybe we've been going about this the wrong way-maybe we should have an art camp for parents? What could be better than looking at clouds with your child?

ART CAMP MAGIC

When you are 5 years old, a two hour camp, no matter how much fun, can drag.....so we solved that problem by turning our art room into a "magic room." After all, out theme was "where the wild things are!"
No adults could see the art unless the magic word was spoken. And the mysterious bumps and bangs that came through the walls or from upstairs were the work of the mischievous, and shy blobs that constituted some of our art. With the help of my able assistant, 16 yr old Maddie, we transformed art camp into imagination camp!

Next camp is for the older kids 11 and up the week of June 17-21...but they may not be able to see our mischievous "lil Pete!" 

Art at 79...60....50....39.......oh my!

SO June 8 was our ART RETREAT and oh my, what a great time we had! And yes, one of our participants was a vibrant 79 years old and jumped right into the art zone with us!

Journaling is all about the journaler and what she wants to include on her various pages. So using  basic art supplies available to everyone, and incorporating some stress relieving tips and techniques, each participant spent the afternoon learning to become "one with her art."

Yep-it ain't that easy initially because we ALL want to be told what to do and especially in art-expectations are always based on one's previous art experiences and teachers! So step by step the ladies all learned to loosen up, let go and then-walla! They created.....and marveled at how easy it was after all!

Check it out! below:

See the woman in blue standing to the left and sitting and raising her hands in the air to the right? Patricia was our 79 years young student who, along with the others, reveled in the freedom of "no holds barred" art.

Each person took home the enthusiasm and techniques necessary to continue their art journey-there are a lot of pages to cover!


Our next art retreat is scheduled for Saturday July 27! Visit me on facebook to stay up to date on what's happening! www.facebook.com/MTheresaBrown or www.facebook.com/artstudentacademy 

JUNE 8 ART RETREAT!

LADIES ART RETREAT!

Join Theresa and her special guest, artist Ophelia Staton, Saturday JUNE 8 from 1:00-4:00 at our LADIES ART RETREAT and learn some new and exciting tips in creating or adding to your Art Journals!   Ophelia is a creative and carefree artist whose easy teaching  style will inspire and motivate you to step into the world of art journaling, expressionism and "no holds barred" art. 

http://www.artstudentacademy.com/Ladies-Art-Retreat-2.html

Read more about Ophelia here:http://opheliasart.blogspot.com
Read more about Theresa here: www.ArtsyJourneys.com