Student Artwork

Stow Lake Bridge Fall 2010

I've been thinking a lot about appearances and aesthetics, which brought me to a conclusion.  It is time for me to change the look of the blog (which you can see clearly).  Also it is time for me to show off some of my student, Linda's work.  I'll show you the pieces in order of completion. 

The first piece was one that drew on her architecture background but moved her away from that a bit more and into the realm of plant life.  We've been working on more organic shapes for the duration of our lessons in order to expand her palette for shape, as well as play with paint application and textures on the surface.

Park Scene, Fall 2010

The second piece was a little further along in the process, and played more with color than the Stow Bridge piece.  It definitely presented some more movement in the direction of paint application as well as playfulness in color which had not been present before.  I think that when we compare these two pieces to the following two, one can see a marked improvement in application, composition. and movement in Linda's painting.  Ultimately, this is the goal with any kind of lessons - to improve and to enhance skills you have as well as to gain new ones.  For someone like this student, art is a hobby - a release from the world.  It should be something wonderful and fun, which one of the reasons why we stuck to landscape and floral content.  There is a serenity in these pieces which is pleasant on the eye and naturally relaxing.  Though there is a lot going on in each, it is not busy or overwhelming.

Auberge Fountain, Winter 2010

This third piece is one of Linda's most finished works.  "Auberge Fountain" is a beautiful study in light and dark, which is one of the areas on which we worked a great deal.  The difference in textures, colors, light and dark, really gives this piece it's dimensionality.  We spent a lot of time making sure the relationships between objects, foreground, and background were correct.  Additionally a lot of care was taken in matching the colors to the actual scene.  The high contrast is owed entirely to the level of shading surrounding the fountain and the time of the light - around 4 pm.  This period of the day is nice because you get some of the strongest light.  Generally preferred by painters and photographers, early morning and late afternoon add depth and drama to a piece (as seen here in the bright foliage behind the fountain).

Passion Flower, Spring 2011

The final piece of Linda's I want to showcase here is her latest completed work - "Passion Flower."  Observed in Golden Gate Park, the flower caught Linda's attention and struck her with its contrast to the lush green surroundings.  Because of the nature of the flower's structure, we paid particular attention to the colors of the various protrusions in order to give some depth without overwhelming or confusing the viewer.  The glossy leaves were portrayed with the rippling reflection of light very nicely as Linda made a sophisticated use of green necessary to distinguish one part from another.  She also played with texturing and paint application by using some sponging, as well as playful brush strokes to create the background of this piece.

Seeing how Linda has come so far from where she was in September has been a great joy for me.  It is one of my favorite parts of teaching art to others.  It is truly one of the most rewarding ways I could spend my time while living in the Bay. 

I will be offering art lessons for the summer while I am in Santa Barbara.  If you or someone you know wants to brush up on their skills or try their hand at a new hobby, send them my way!  Art is a great stress release as well as a wonderful hobby you can enjoy at any point in life!