Marco’s Painting Course in December was three days of intense energy between painters and canvas. This concentrated effort is not often exercised in our busy lives and the end results were acute, new technical skills and a finished work after only three days of painting.
The students who attended had varied painting skills; some with little knowledge at all. As you can see from the finished pieces of work below, they completed sensitive paintings with varied tone and interesting compositions. We are very happy with these pieces and proud that such detail was achieved over a short amount of time. It normally takes our students at least few weeks to complete a painting of this standard in our normal classes with two and a half contact hours per week.
We have introduced another intensive art class – drawing with Hilmi Baskurt, which runs for three days over the Labour Day weekend in March. This is a great opportunity to focus and refine drawing skills over three intensive days. You can find out more here.
Lauren Ottaway, a current MAC student, shares her creative journey that led her from paint-brush to screen-printing.
I first painted Louis the Frenchie as a gift for someone with a stocky French bulldog bursting with personality. The reaction from my friends and family for this small 30cm x 20cm pop-art style French bulldog was very positive, and I had an upcoming exhibition at Lentil as Anything so I thought I’d dedicate a portion of it to Louis.
Louis the third, acrylic on canvas, 2013
I painted another four small canvases in varied colours (using acrylic) and another larger canvas with his face repeated – a bit like Campbell Soup cans. I received a lot of good feedback at the exhibition, and then sat on the idea for a little while as I thought Louis could become a little icon.
A few months ago I came to the conclusion that I wanted to quit my full-time job in marketing, and I remembered that I have always wanted to have a market stall (I might call myself crazy now though)! My cousin is a screen-printer, so I shared my seemingly wild idea about printing Louis on tote bags. She thought it could work, and she had leftover bags and material I could use, so she taught me how to screen print.
Using my cousin’s rusty carousel and a screen with a stencil of Louis cut out using contact, we began producing flawless prints. I was gobsmacked; seeing what was my painting from one year ago on a bag was so exciting! I printed about 20 bags and tea towels, and I was addicted.
The next few days was a mad rush gathering quotes for bag and tea towel wholesalers, and everyone I know pitching ideas about what I could do and how I could do it.
I came up with two more designs – Gus the pug and Wooza the crazy cat.
The next week I found my lounge room full of boxes of bags, tea towels and aprons.
And the next week I was furiously printing in my in-laws garage and heat-pressing each piece in preparation for the first market I had been accepted into. If you had told me a year ago that I’d be screen-printing one hundred bags I would have never believed you!
I’m not sure if this is how far Louis and his two new friends will go on this unexpected journey, though I’m loving every step.
Starting up a tiny creative business
After selling at a few markets, I now have so much more respect for people who make and sell things themselves. You have to do everything yourself, from creating tags for the products, to loading the car, setting up shop and keeping a smile on your face whilst people walk past your stall and run their hands along your products.
However, the satisfaction of people purchasing and adoring what you sell is priceless. It is a great outlet to meet like-minded creative people and also seeing what other people are doing inspires me every day. After being exposed to this hand-made community, I have decided to only buy hand-made products and support local artists and creatives this Christmas.
Andrea J. Smith’s new body of work was recently exhibited at Australian Galleries, Derby Street.
Andrea J. Smith Three ladels, 2011
Andrea was a guest artist at Melbourne Art Class in 2013, discussing her art and work practices such as the use of the “sight size” technique.
Knowing how she creates her works allowed me to examine the paintings in her exhibition with a more attuned eye and not just simply be overawed by her skill.
Andrea trained in the use of traditional oil painting techniques used by the old masters at the Florence Academy, which is evident in her work.
Every portrait and still life has a strong illusionary quality. When standing afar, you may think you are peering in to a Mediterranean kitchen, with plump, bold tomatoes, eggplants and persimmons playing the characters on weathered surfaces and rusted metal.
However, when you get closer to the paintings, you can see playful brushstrokes skilfully placed to give a slight sheen to the skin of fruit, or the crispness to a lemon leaf.
Andrea J. Smith detail of Ladle and lemons 2014
Andrea has explored combinations of complimentary colours in her still life works,Composition of blue and orange,Composition of red and green.The colours do not seem to be the focus of these still lifes however, as they do not dominate her limited palette.
The portraits in her exhibition all have a haunting quality to them. Her subjects stare at you, illuminated by the gold leaf surrounding them; they almost float towards you.
Andrea J. Smith The four seasons 2003
These paintings have bolder colours, yet retain the soft, almost dusty light that Andrea captures in her still lifes.
She also has a number of landscape paintings in her exhibition, which appear to be painted more freely than the other works.
A looseness and energy to her brushwork is evident, where only a few brush strokes suggest sky, or grass, giving her work a real freshness and freedom compared to her still lifes.
Andrea J. Smith Harcourt 2014
These landscapes are some of her latest works; perhaps we are seeing a shift of Andrea’s technique?
Marco Corsini, The unforeseen, 2013, oil on linen, 60 cm. x 70 cm.
With a full Studio Art Program during recent terms, we have decided to start a new program which is similar in format but with a focus on painting. Our new painting program will be coordinated and tutored by Marco Corsini and will run on Saturday mornings.
For more information regarding the program, please follow this link.
Aside from the abstract works which are described in the previous post, Lauren also paints some wonderful figurative works. This image of Louis the dog beautifully describes something of the dog’s personality.
Lauren will be exhibiting in Melbourne at Lentil as Anything from January 4th. For more information about Lauren, please go to http://www.laurenottawayart.com
Lauren is a participant in our studio art program.
Often, working creatively is seen as a completely intuitive, whimsical and spontaneous process. Nobody that I know, who is producing consistently, works in this way. While intuition and spontaneity do play a part in the creative process often it is just dogged persistence that gives results. I have put together the following chart to help manage and encourage persistence in the creative process.
It can be difficult to do creative work when you have limited time and have to maintain other responsibilities such as study, work and family. So how can you achieve the most with the limited time you have?
I have frequently struggled with this question and have put together the following thoughts based upon my own experience and that which I have observed in the lives of other artists.
Curiosity
Creativity is a part of life and should not be isolated to your work time. A curiosity and passion for life is a key element of getting ideas. Creative people usually have an interest in how things around them look, feel, smell, how people behave and what makes things work and not work. They tend to appreciate other people’s creative work and the natural world. They observe and they reflect. So, although life may be busy, the many instances when we are engaging in our daily routines present many opportunities to use our natural curiosity and to be passionate about our existence. This engagement with life will breed new thoughts and ideas.
Space
You need a space to explore ideas playfully. This is a place for your creative work. Perhaps this could be a room, a corner, a desk or your studio. It can be a place where you leave special objects and your associated thoughts. This is a place where you leave your work and can return to it to see it again. It is a well organised space that has the materials you need, when you need them so that you can pick up on a thread of an idea quickly. When completing your creative work, you take the time to reflect on your work while cleaning and organising your space so that it is ready to receive you the next time you come.
Journal
Ideas and observations are a special insight and they need to be treated carefully so that we can all benefit. They can lead to great work but we have to be ready to record them as they come. A journal, a sketch book or book you can write in offers a place to jot ideas, sketch, observe, plan and play. It is a private space and you can put down whatever comes to mind regardless of whether it makes sense at the time. I keep several journals and pencils around me. I have one in the car and I usually travel with one. Although I am often away from my work space I try to maintain a discipline of drawing and writing in my journal. It becomes my little travelling work space.
Consistency
Be consistent in your work schedule even if it is only a few hours a week. Your commitment to journaling or working in your space is important for your creative development. If you are like me you will find that periods of time pass when you are not able to be consistent. If you have been maintaining a curiosity and passion for the tasks you have been doing in your life, you probably have been creative in other ways and this will be useful for your work when you return.
Unclutter
Our minds need the freedom to process information and ideas. I find that my mind works better if I am able to release myself from worry, apprehension and needless distraction. I try to limit wasteful distractions, my ideas mostly coming from my daily experiences and reading. I think carefully about whether I need extra ‘things’ in my life as the more I have, the more my mind is occupied. I try to maintain a routine that allows me to free my mind at some stage in the day. Curiously, I’ve found that I get my best ideas while doing menial tasks such as washing the dishes. This document came to me while washing the dishes and was initially written on some serviettes.
The pressure we put on ourselves to be creative can also clutter our minds. For me it was a combination of a demanding life with the added pressure of coming up with new ideas that had for a period of several years brought my creative work to a standstill. It was only after walking away from the pressure to create that I found ideas began to flow again. I have learnt a lot from that experience. I now cycle my projects through a process of focusing on them then letting them go. I will work on the project until it is clear I am making little headway. I then leave it alone, switch to another project or task until from somewhere in my subconscious mind the solution to the problem emerges or until I am ready to return to the project with a clear mind. Then I repeat the process for the next stage of the project.
Set Objectives
Once you know which direction you want to go in then apply clear objectives and parameters to ensure you get there.
What is it you want to achieve? What are the qualities your successful project will have? What is the strategy you can employ to get there? Who or what can help?
Feedback
Seek feedback from positive people whose judgement you trust and avoid exposure to people whose judgment you don’t trust. With sincerity and openness, you may find the opportunities to befriend people that have the knowledge and experience you seek.
Discuss your work with others as it develops and always be open to new perspectives.
Exposure
Find places to expose your work. If you have worked hard for your idea then you need to be a good advocate for it. Telling a story about the development of the idea will most likely draw some interest.
Rest
Take a break. After a heavy work schedule on a project you need rest your body and to free your mind so that you can return to living with a curiosity for life.
