The Toronto School of Art

... is bankrupt!

Here's me, three and a half academic years in and just half way through my credits.  I'll never get my Diploma in Fine Arts.  I do hope to get my money back for the no-longer-upcoming Winter term.

But all that is beside the point which is the loss of community.  So many people.  The loss of such excellent teaching.  My progress has been exponential this year.  I was never looking forward so eagerly to the term ahead.

We had our final critique in Fundamental Acrylics on the Tuesday.  We'd picked out our pieces for the Fall term Open House.  Then on Friday November 30, the doors were locked and that was that.

Shock.

There is now a Facebook group and talk of Phoenix from the ashes in some form or other.  I hope this happens -- I want to study further with those great teachers and students.

Open Drawing

For the cancellation of drawing class last week we were given two passes to open drawing.  Since I had a free Thursday afternoon I tried that session.  It's in a smaller space -- the sculpture studio -- with a smaller crowd.  I'm out of practice and so hope to attend more often again.  I didn't stay long as the model was driving me crazy -- moving, especially of course in the longer poses.  Too bad they didn't start with one minute gestures.





Last portrait class

Our last class was a couple weeks ago but I left my drawings in my locker along with the self-portrait which we looked at in class.  My teacher had some comments in terms of likeness as well as the character of the drawing.  No one else followed his suggestion to try one -- but then no one else was doing the class for credit!  I found the process most rewarding and I'll be trying again and again.  There are some aspects of this self-portrait that I really like.  (I photographed it again since my first try was quite out of focus.)

TSA Open House

I went to the opening party for the TSA Open House last night with my sister.  As always the show was set up beautifully.  The drawings from my portrait class were in the largest room, Studio 2.  There were only 5 who came to the class with any regularity and 4 with work on display.  I showed the portrait on prepared paper and a drawing from the last class.

Prepared paper

After a few five minute sketches we worked for the rest of portrait class on two drawings from the same pose.  For the first the teacher gave us some manila paper which we combined with a limited colour palate.  For the second drawing I used paper I'd "prepared" at home using ink on brown paper.  The results are pretty wild but I like it.



Open Drawing

I went to open drawing again this afternoon and did one portrait.

Ink

This week in portrait drawing after some initial sketches to warm up we experimented with ink.  We used different tools for each sketch -- steel pen, a calligraphy brush, the blunt end of a skewer and a torn skewer.  Yes, these portraits are all the same sitter.  In other words, ink is new to me and hard to control.

Folds and Creases

In portrait drawing this week we learned about the way clothing folds and falls on a model.

Open Drawing

I only stayed for one portrait this Sunday.  I'm finding an interesting connection between my feelings and the feelings I portray on the model.  Similarly with the self-portrait I did recently.  And doing one portrait over an hour is exhausting.  Utterly draining.

Contour and Composition

In portrait class this week we worked on two things.  After some quick warm-up sketches we did a couple drawings concentrating on contour lines.  Then we used a viewfinder to plan a few different compositions before choosing one to do for the final hour.



Head and Torso

I went to the afternoon Sunday session again today.  Two long poses in two different rooms.  Today I didn't move but did a portrait and then a torso of the same pose and model.  Both a bit wonky!

Facial Expressions

In portrait class this week we worked on facial expressions with a model who is particularly good at showing different moods.  We didn't have a lot of time for each of the mood sketches but this is what I came up with.

Shock

Disgust



Fear

Sadness

Happiness



Anger



More Portraits

I missed a portrait class while I was away but I've had a couple more since.  And today I went to open drawing - the afternoon session with one long pose.  I did a portrait of each of the two models.  Those portraits are at the bottom.