Life Painting

I started life painting yesterday with a new teacher.  She taught us a lot already.  We did four paintings on paper using one colour and white.  The first one below is just one colour and the white of the page.  Then we added a mid-tone.  The third painting shows how much information can be communicated only with brush stroke.  What a concept!  To pay attention to each stroke of the brush!  Of course it makes sense now I think about it.

Figurative studies

Another drawing from class this week.  The teacher likes to display our work.  This drawing was to use only a few lines.

Figurative studies

Last week in drawing class we focused on gesture.  This week it was line.  The drawings below were each drawn to certain instructions.  Fast lines, short, straight or curving lines.  Wide lines, few lines.  It was a fun challenge.

Toby in his blue raincoat

TSA

I took my camera to school this week and photographed two works of mine up on the walls.  In the sculpture studio my figure was still up and in the hall very near my locker were some of the drawings from our first class.

Life Drawing

This spring I'm taking a class called Explorations in Figure Studies.  The first class was last week.  The teacher had us do several unexpected things for a life drawing class.  I'm glad for the challenge to get myself out of any ruts that might be developing in the way I draw.  At one point he asked us to do 20 second poses all on the same sheet of paper.  This ended up a bit of a mess that looked nothing like life drawing.  He asked us to separate out that sheet for later.  At the end of the class he asked us to work on that sheet over the week.  It was now a sheet with random marks on it.  Abstract marks that we could add to, erase, colour, smudge or -- anything!

Toby

Toby has been to the groomer and looks even cuter.  I had a dog whisperer here yesterday to help me become top dog.  The main idea was to spray water and say no for things I don't want -- mostly biting me and barking for my food.  He got the message quickly!

TSA Spring Open House

The spring term at school has started.  I'm taking sculpture, drawing and life painting.  The Open House was last week.  This is how my stuff looked on the walls.

Toby is here!

Toby is here -- and literally here with me, sleeping in his bed.  This is great progress because for some reason he got spooked in my study and wouldn't enter.  I've been bringing him in here to get used to it.  He's also too afraid to go outside -- even on the balcony -- but I did manage to carry him to the vet on Sunday.

What can I say about Toby?  He's not yet house-trained.  He follows me everywhere.  I decided to let him sleep on the bed with me.  It's hard to leave him home alone but I have to get on with life.  It's almost been a week and each day he's calmer.

Here are some photos.

TSA Open House

My winter term classes are all done now.  As a diploma student I can submit two pieces to the April Open House.  These are them:

Blue Shadow

Diptych (The apple of my eye)