Alexa Meade is an American installation artist best known for her portraits painted directly onto the human body and inanimate objects in a way that collapses depth and makes her models appear 2D when photographed. The video above is a Ted Talk she did several years back. If you get a chance to watch the video, let me know what you think in the comments below! 

On Saturday 2/13/21 at 11am MST we are going to paint this still life with peaches in gouache. You'll want a surface to paint (watercolor paper, bristol board, wood panel, etc.) and gouache in at least the 3 primary colors (red, yellow, blue) but it can be nice to have a range of colors so you have more options for mixing. You'll want some paint brushes, at least a round (flats can be helpful too). Finally, you'll want some paper towel and a cup of water. I recommend lightly sketching out the loose shapes of the still life on your surface before class. You could also print out the picture and transfer it. 

On Sunday at 2PM MST we are going to start the first few lessons from "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards. We will be doing the pre-assessment self portrait, the face/vase exercise and the upside down drawing.  There is a list of supplies below as well as links to print the images needed for the lessons. If you don't have a printer, it is possible to just view the image on your screen. If you haven't had time to watch the lessons, you can view them "on demand" before class on Sunday. I'm excited to work through these lessons. I am confident they will improve anybody's drawing skills. I hope to see you there!

Every Tuesday the Painting and Drawing Club works on drawing from direct observation to improve basic drawing skills. Each week will be a different theme, including objects you probably have at home. If for some reason you don't have a certain object or you prefer to draw something different, feel free. Drawing from direct observation is the best way to improve drawing skills! At the end of each session we like to share our work with the group. It's so fun getting to see everybody's different take on a similar subject. Feel free to use graphite, charcoal or another medium of your choice. Sign up under "Upcoming Events."

On Sunday 1/10/21 from 1pm to 3pm MST we will be viewing the Betty Edward's video "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" and learning directly from her! Below is the supply list the accompanies the video. Many of the items below could be substituted with other supplies if you don't have something.  

ASSEMBLING THE SUPPLIES YOURSELF
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A drawing board: You can buy a drawing board from an art supply store or improvise by using a heavy piece of cardboard or a thin piece of lumber such as masonite or a large cutting board from the kitchen.

Drawing paper: We recommend Strathmore 400 Series Regular Surface drawing paper. You will need two sizes, a small size tablet of 9" x 12" and a larger size of either 14" x 17" or 11" x 14". 

Pencils: You will need a #2 yellow pencil, a 4B pencil and a 6B pencil. In addition you will need a pencil sharpener. 

A graphite stick: You will need a 4B graphite stick or a WOODLESS 4B pencil.

A water-soluble marker: You will need a black marker such as a Vis-à-Vis overhead projection marker. These markers are widely available in office supply stores. 

Erasers: You will need a kneaded rubber eraser and a white plastic eraser. These are available in art stores and office supply stores.

Tape: You will need low tack masking tape, which is found at your local art store.

Construction paper: You will need 3 pieces of construction paper for making mats and templates.

Picture-plane: You will need an 8" x 10" piece of Plexiglass (1/16 or 1/8 inch thick). You can find this material at home improvement stores such as Home Depot and ask them to cut it for you. You will use a permanent marker to draw crosshairs on the plastic.


OPTIONAL MATERIALS
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AngleFinder: You can do all the exercises in the video without this tool. If you would like one anyway, you can order from http://drawright.com or visit your local school supply store and ask for an Angle/Linear Ruler by Safe-T®.

ProportionFinder: You can do all the exercises in the video without this tool. If you would like one anyway, you can order one from http://drawright.com.

Mirror: You can use a hand-held mirror taped to a wall, or an existing mirror in your house. Simply trace an opening of 5" x 6.25" onto the mirror with a Vis-à-Vis. 

Vase-Face and Upside-Down Drawings: You can find these drawings in Betty Edwards; books, "The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" and "The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook" or on our website for download here: http://drawright.com/try-an-exercise/

To make the mats and templates: Using the construction paper, cut out two mats to use with the picture plane, one with an opening of 4" x 5" and one with an opening of 6" x 7.5". Make the templates from construction paper. The small template is 4" x 5", the large template is 6" x 7.5" and the extra-large template is 8.15" x 10.25". 

The video below is from the PBS series The Art Assignment. This short video discusses what makes an artwork a masterpiece as well as poses some interesting questions to think about. I really enjoyed watching this video and as always Sarah Urist Green brought up some great points. Let me know what you think in the comments below!