A is for art school
Is it wise to pick a college during Senior Slump? We shall see. Going to Accepted Student Day events is both entertaining and loaded with portent. As a RISD alum, it was pure nostalgia for me. And there were daffodils! Mosaics are all over the freshman dorm complex. The Met dining hall is more chic than it was in the 70’s. Before the official presentation, we stopped at the Nature Lab, scene of many hours of my studies. I couldn’t resist sitting down to sketch this specimen, the tragulus javanicus. Here Marty takes in the creaky ambiance. The Waterman Building is home to...
Read Moremuch ado about MECA
Have you noticed the color streaming from Maine College of Art? I drew this for all the rainbow buzz that is alive and well as the spring semester draws to a end. My senior illustration majors have been hustling. Dee Wiegand has a bold eye on her Horror Sweet Horror project. Anabelle Souza is working the squeegee for her zine series, Misconceptions. Emma McCabe is building books for her fable series, one delicate gold leaf at a time. Kara Munro is inking up temporary tattoo designs, graceful stories in adornment. Cecil Cates is illustrating a narrative of his ancestry. Liam Murphy is...
Read Morepastel playtime
I closed out my favorite month with a gift to myself: a 3-day pastel workshop with Terry Ludwig, renowned artist and the maker of Terry Ludwig pastels. Hosted by the Boothbay Region Art Foundation, the workshop was held above a gallery in Boothbay Village. I was joined by BFF Kim Traina, and made new friends during the lively and inspirational class. Terry began by saying the first item on the supply list is a sense of humor. His self-deprecating wit and wise-cracking manner put everyone at ease, even though I felt under-equipped without an easel or an armload of pastels. He frequently...
Read Moresketchbooking picnic
What fun to repeat the Sketchbook Workshop I did last year with Judy Labrasca, this time with a new flock of arty folks. Judy and I shared sketchbooks and materials with the class and began our trek, starting by the “army dock” near the ferry landing on Peaks Island. She gave a nimble watercolor demo with a brush pen. I added a quick pencil sketch to the handmade sketchbook from last year. Another curious flock kept an eye on us. The boat in the background above is the E Cosi, which sailed into my illustration in Here Come the Humpbacks! I drew a goose on sanded pastel paper,...
Read Moredrawing with color
I live just up the hill from the TEIA, otherwise known as “the club.” I’ve drawn it many times, including this commission for an island wedding that took place on the porch, “Island Vow.” It was my pleasure to lead a 2 day Drawing With Color workshop there recently. Rainy skies didn’t darken our creative spirits. We gathered inside to discuss our intentions, color properties, and materials. Ralph brought a pristine box of pastels he’d had for nine years, untouched. Johanna brought these vintage chalk crayons. Pastels do not go bad! Amid the din of a...
Read Moresketch-a-thon
I’m kinda the Johnny Appleseed for sketching, I throw seeds for sketchers everywhere I go. Why? Sketching is an activity for everyone, a tool, a means to an end, a process, document, a story. The more you sketch, the better you will see and understand your world while your drawing becomes an ever more fluent visual language that can be read by anyone, anywhere. Currently, the Portland Museum of Art is exhibiting Fine Lines, American Drawings from the Brooklyn Museum. I’ve stopped in twice and still need more time to take in all the wonders of this show. MECA colleague and amazing...
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