Last weekend, my friend Marci and I took a workshop at VRAS with Misty Mawn. Firstly, VRAS is a truly magical place. Out in the middle of nowhere, miles and miles of rolling hills, cows, gorgeous trees, peace, and Kathy & Bill. Unbelievable hosts. So welcoming, so caring, very delightful people. I've been an admirer of Misty's work for a long time. Her painted faces are quite fantastic. That's what she was teaching. She started the class by giving us exercises in drawing a face. I could not believe how quickly we were all drawing faces....and they actually DID look like faces. I love blind contour drawing. The above drawing is exactly that. You draw while not looking at your paper---no peeking.
Next, we traced a face and painted her using just white and the black of the pencil (Stabilo Marks All). When I showed my paintings to Paul, he said this one looks afraid and very sad. Art is great therapy, isn't it?
Misty gave us packets of collage materials. In this exercise we were to put together a composition using collage. This is not quite finished......the head is too prominant. Maybe because my Dad recently passed away and that was (and still is) heavy on my heart.
This painting isn't finished either......Misty showed us two ways of working. One was to create the background first and then add the figure, the other was to paint the figure first and paint the background later. Misty works very fast. One thing that you get from a workshop that you don't get from a book....watching the artist work. Misty will dip her brushes right into the tub of paint--from one color to another. Not concerned with red getting into the yellow. I realized I'm far too anal. Dipping my palette knife into the tub so I don't contaminate it with another color....crazy. Misty uses her hands...bare hands for spreading mediums and paints on paper.
Here's a background that I was able to finish. Metallic gold shining through the layers of paint and collage. I think I'm going to paint a still life on this one. Possibly one of my beloved pears.
At work on Friday, I found a piece of square bubble wrap. I've never seen it before. What a great find.....there are art supplies everywhere!
This painting isn't finished either......Misty showed us two ways of working. One was to create the background first and then add the figure, the other was to paint the figure first and paint the background later. Misty works very fast. One thing that you get from a workshop that you don't get from a book....watching the artist work. Misty will dip her brushes right into the tub of paint--from one color to another. Not concerned with red getting into the yellow. I realized I'm far too anal. Dipping my palette knife into the tub so I don't contaminate it with another color....crazy. Misty uses her hands...bare hands for spreading mediums and paints on paper. Here's a background that I was able to finish. Metallic gold shining through the layers of paint and collage. I think I'm going to paint a still life on this one. Possibly one of my beloved pears. At work on Friday, I found a piece of square bubble wrap. I've never seen it before. What a great find.....there are art supplies everywhere!Thank you so much for your encouraging words and prayers regarding my Dad's passing. I appreciate you all so very much. xo
3 comments:
Oh yes, art is great therapy. I'm glad you were able to take the class, your work is beautiful!
oh i'm so happy for you, to hear you immersed yourself in healing art with misty... yes, therapy... and so many things to all of us... there is so much to express, so much to feel, so much you are carrying on of your dad in your painting... what a beautiful tribute and legacy of gratitude to him for all that he was and still is and always will be in your life... the artwork is gorgeous... it is wonderful to see you back...
my prayers are with you for continual and constant comfort...
xo
Hi Chris,
Your art is great! How awesome. Hope you're doing okay. Take care, Ellen
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