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Coloring Jesus

The first time I remember that art was a special part of my life was when I was a preschooler in my home church. Maybe that’s why faith and art for me are intricately linked. I loved my home church in Long Beach where I grew up. My dad, a marvelous craftsman, had made the cross inContinue reading “Coloring Jesus”

Drawn to God

As I prepare to teach a local drawing class I am reminded of the foundational aspects of drawing. Like scales to a musician, drawing is a basic skill for all art forms. When we begin to draw we start observing the world around us with different eyes. We start to contemplate those forms around us thatContinue reading “Drawn to God”

A Whole Lot of Art Going On

I’m looking forward to the joy of teaching art in our community! This class will be on Monday mornings at the Rohner Recreation Hall at Rohner Park in Fortuna, California. We will be exploring how to paint pictures of a world filled with glorious color and light by using acrylics on canvas. Sign ups areContinue reading “A Whole Lot of Art Going On”

Offering a Local Art Class

On six consecutive Tuesday evenings, from February 26th – April 2nd 2013, 6:30 – 8:30 PM, I’ll be offering a drawing class at the Fortuna Fabric and Craft Shop – 2045 Main St. in Fortuna, California. All skill levels are welcome. The class cost is $100 plus supplies (drawing paper, pencils & an eraser). TheContinue reading “Offering a Local Art Class”

A Limited Palette Part 4 – My Favorites

We live in a world filled with color and light. All the marvelous colors in the world can be mixed by using a limited palette. It is important to make the distinction that when I refer to a limited palette I am using colored paint that, used together, can be mixed to create the whole spectrumContinue reading “A Limited Palette Part 4 – My Favorites”

A Limited Color Palette – Part 3 – The “Ish”

Learning and understanding color is made simple by the “ish.” Even my four-year-old granddaughter understands the concept. We learn to evaluate and describe any color by voicing it’s ingredients in order from greatest to least – and then add the ish. What is that color the army uses so frequently? Oh, it’s greenish-yellowish-reddish. Mix thoseContinue reading “A Limited Color Palette – Part 3 – The “Ish””

A Limited Color Palette Part 2 – No Black.

No Black? No. Black is the absence of color. And we live in a world filled with color and light. What we consider black is really very very dark color that appear to our eyes as black – dark green, dark purple, dark bluish-brownish-purple, etc. Painters will argue about this, but in a limited colorContinue reading “A Limited Color Palette Part 2 – No Black.”

Finding Your Artistic Voice

One never outgrows one’s teachers. Teachers should be respected for the knowledge and life they have poured into us and for their willingness to share what they have learned. Norman Rockwell, in later years, lamented that he did not consider himself a good teacher because he insisted that his students paint just like him. HeContinue reading “Finding Your Artistic Voice”

A Limited Color Palette Part I

Why use a limited palette when there is conceivably every color of paint under the sun made by a plethora of art companies at our disposal? While artists will no doubt debate over the brand of products, I adopted my painting teacher’s limited palette and have been thrilled with the success. What I found were limitless possibilitiesContinue reading “A Limited Color Palette Part I”

"I Can Only Draw Stick Figures"

Most artists, no matter what their field of endeavor, are at some time told, “wow, I could never do that, I can only draw stick figures, or I can only play “Chop Sticks.” The words are intended as a compliment, which is fine. But behind the comment lies the thought that artistry is just somethingContinue reading “"I Can Only Draw Stick Figures"”