This summer I've been taking a class on Thursday nights at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). It's called "Drawing and Mixed Media Collage." Here's the description:
Drawing from an artwork is one of the best ways to understand it. Taking note of the artist's compositional strategies and formal choices leads to a deeper understanding of the work. This course begins by examining drawing as a creative and reflective process in working from observation in MoMA's galleries. It will then evolve into an exploration of contemporary trends through hands-on studio practice. Students will learn how to use a variety of mixed media techniques combined with traditional and experimental drawing approaches. The artists considered include Jasper Johns, Louise Bourgeois, Joseph Beuys, William Kentridge, Félix González-Torres, Thomas Hirschhorn, and selected artists from the current exhibitions I Am Still Alive: Politics and Everyday Life in Contemporary Drawing and Impressions from South Africa, 1965 to Now.
I have found it very interesting so far. The teacher (Katerina Lanfranco) is wonderful. She's intelligent and spontaneous, and very encouraging. Though, I'll admit that I feel a little bit intimidated in class. A lot of people there can draw for real for real and I've always felt like my drawings are riduculous in comparison. But I thought I'd share a few photos of what we've been doing:
Class usually starts with all of us grabbing stools, our class kits (a sketchbook and pencils) and heading into the galleries. Katerina talks to us a bit about what we're seeing and then we sit and sketch.
It's kind of fun to sit and stare and try to reconstruct each artists' lines. Mostly it's fun to be in the galleries at night when the museum is closed. It's so quiet and lovely. One night we were sitting and sketching and the lights went out! Pitch black and locked in the museum. It was straight out of a heist-style movie. However when the lights came back on, all the paintings were there. So no worries.
Here is a sampling of the many drawings I've done so far:
It's amazing to me how something so simple as copying a piece of art with a pencil can teach you so much! Things that look super organic and thrown together are suddenly thrust into a new light when you really look at how all the elements relate. And creating without color is massively interesting to me as I am a color junkie. But this exercise forces me to reduce everything to tone. Very hard for my brain to master! Plus working with pencils is hard! I'm used to paint that flows and moves.
After sketching in the galleries we either head (a) back to the classroom or (b) to the outdoor sculpture garden. The photo below is a snapshot (looking up) from the sculpture garden two Thursdays ago. Beautiful!
In either location our next assignment is to take what we've seen and been inspired by and work with slightly messier mediums like glue or paint. I missed taking photos a few days because I was busy being inspired, but take a peek at my arting:
This piece is a collage made from painted paper, magazine pages, and hand patterned drawing paper. Again, we were not really allowed to use color and that was super hard for me.
One of my favorite exercises was experimenting with sumi-e ink.
Along with the ink, we played around with various painting instruments. The face above was painted with a piece of string dipped in the ink. Below, you can see paintings done with a bunched up paper towel, a stick, and a brush attached to a stick.
And my most recent artful experiment:
I kind of love this one. It's so personal and yet universal. I used vine charcoal to draw the faces and then collaged words cut from an old book.
We've got three classes left (out of eight) and each class keeps getting better and better! So I just can't wait to see what more Katerina has in store for us!
Thanks for stopping by!
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P.S. I'm guest designing for the JBS Mercantile (Jenni Bowlin) kit club in July. Follow this link to see one of the layouts, a favorite photo, and a snap of my crafty space, along with some of my philosophical ramblings about creativity.
You lucky duck, great stuff sister!
You lucky duck, great stuff sister!
You lucky duck, great stuff sister!
You lucky duck, great stuff sister!
Sounds like a great class, but painting with a string sounds hard! Love the last piece too!
Sounds like a great class, but painting with a string sounds hard! Love the last piece too!
Sounds like a great class, but painting with a string sounds hard! Love the last piece too!
Sounds like a great class, but painting with a string sounds hard! Love the last piece too!
Your drawings are great. I was surprised to hear you express feelings of intimidation (human nature) but so happy to see you get over it. You certainly have the talent. Your are so fortunate to have easy access to the MOMA. I have spent hours with the 3 panels of Monet’s waterlilies. I am an hour away from the city and work full time so committing to a series of classes becomes a challenge. But I am taking a class with you at the INK PAD this summer and i look forward to that. I really enjoy your blog. thanks for sharing.
Your drawings are great. I was surprised to hear you express feelings of intimidation (human nature) but so happy to see you get over it. You certainly have the talent. Your are so fortunate to have easy access to the MOMA. I have spent hours with the 3 panels of Monet’s waterlilies. I am an hour away from the city and work full time so committing to a series of classes becomes a challenge. But I am taking a class with you at the INK PAD this summer and i look forward to that. I really enjoy your blog. thanks for sharing.
Your drawings are great. I was surprised to hear you express feelings of intimidation (human nature) but so happy to see you get over it. You certainly have the talent. Your are so fortunate to have easy access to the MOMA. I have spent hours with the 3 panels of Monet’s waterlilies. I am an hour away from the city and work full time so committing to a series of classes becomes a challenge. But I am taking a class with you at the INK PAD this summer and i look forward to that. I really enjoy your blog. thanks for sharing.
Your drawings are great. I was surprised to hear you express feelings of intimidation (human nature) but so happy to see you get over it. You certainly have the talent. Your are so fortunate to have easy access to the MOMA. I have spent hours with the 3 panels of Monet’s waterlilies. I am an hour away from the city and work full time so committing to a series of classes becomes a challenge. But I am taking a class with you at the INK PAD this summer and i look forward to that. I really enjoy your blog. thanks for sharing.
What a great class!! Beautiful work, too.
What a great class!! Beautiful work, too.
What a great class!! Beautiful work, too.
What a great class!! Beautiful work, too.
This looks like so much fun! Your drawings are excellent!
This looks like so much fun! Your drawings are excellent!
This looks like so much fun! Your drawings are excellent!
This looks like so much fun! Your drawings are excellent!
This class is great! Very inspiring. And I love your drawings! They are excellent with or without the color!
This class is great! Very inspiring. And I love your drawings! They are excellent with or without the color!
This class is great! Very inspiring. And I love your drawings! They are excellent with or without the color!
This class is great! Very inspiring. And I love your drawings! They are excellent with or without the color!
I loved hearing and seeing more about your class at MoMA. It’s so great you are diving into things you aren’t as comfortable with and coming out of it refreshed & revitalized -that’s brave + good! Thanks so much for visiting my blog, very appreciated.
: ^ ) lenna
I loved hearing and seeing more about your class at MoMA. It’s so great you are diving into things you aren’t as comfortable with and coming out of it refreshed & revitalized -that’s brave + good! Thanks so much for visiting my blog, very appreciated.
: ^ ) lenna
I loved hearing and seeing more about your class at MoMA. It’s so great you are diving into things you aren’t as comfortable with and coming out of it refreshed & revitalized -that’s brave + good! Thanks so much for visiting my blog, very appreciated.
: ^ ) lenna
I loved hearing and seeing more about your class at MoMA. It’s so great you are diving into things you aren’t as comfortable with and coming out of it refreshed & revitalized -that’s brave + good! Thanks so much for visiting my blog, very appreciated.
: ^ ) lenna
I love it that you push yourself to keep exploring and learning. BTW the face-a-day gave me the push to do a flower-a-day and I am finding a similar thing to draw the flower I have to really look at the real thing, a picture of the real thing and actually see what is there. It’s a push to be so disciplined and I am learning gobs. Thanks for the art journaling every day.
I love it that you push yourself to keep exploring and learning. BTW the face-a-day gave me the push to do a flower-a-day and I am finding a similar thing to draw the flower I have to really look at the real thing, a picture of the real thing and actually see what is there. It’s a push to be so disciplined and I am learning gobs. Thanks for the art journaling every day.
I love it that you push yourself to keep exploring and learning. BTW the face-a-day gave me the push to do a flower-a-day and I am finding a similar thing to draw the flower I have to really look at the real thing, a picture of the real thing and actually see what is there. It’s a push to be so disciplined and I am learning gobs. Thanks for the art journaling every day.
I love it that you push yourself to keep exploring and learning. BTW the face-a-day gave me the push to do a flower-a-day and I am finding a similar thing to draw the flower I have to really look at the real thing, a picture of the real thing and actually see what is there. It’s a push to be so disciplined and I am learning gobs. Thanks for the art journaling every day.
WOW Julie, you are so brave. The class description alone had me shaking in my boots – LOL. I love what you’re doing so far and it’s awesome you’re taking your art to another level. Just rememeber when you feel intimidated that you ARE the mixed media QUEEN! ROCK ON!
WOW Julie, you are so brave. The class description alone had me shaking in my boots – LOL. I love what you’re doing so far and it’s awesome you’re taking your art to another level. Just rememeber when you feel intimidated that you ARE the mixed media QUEEN! ROCK ON!
WOW Julie, you are so brave. The class description alone had me shaking in my boots – LOL. I love what you’re doing so far and it’s awesome you’re taking your art to another level. Just rememeber when you feel intimidated that you ARE the mixed media QUEEN! ROCK ON!
WOW Julie, you are so brave. The class description alone had me shaking in my boots – LOL. I love what you’re doing so far and it’s awesome you’re taking your art to another level. Just rememeber when you feel intimidated that you ARE the mixed media QUEEN! ROCK ON!
Looks like you’re having a great time Julie! I understand the “lack of colour” conflict though… Not sure I could do that! =)
Looks like you’re having a great time Julie! I understand the “lack of colour” conflict though… Not sure I could do that! =)
Looks like you’re having a great time Julie! I understand the “lack of colour” conflict though… Not sure I could do that! =)
Looks like you’re having a great time Julie! I understand the “lack of colour” conflict though… Not sure I could do that! =)
The class sounds amazing. I love the idea of using different painting instruments than the norm. I would expect that you feel and emotionally experience your work in a totally new way. Even though I can barely draw stick figures, I love experimenting. I hope to give this a try, in private of course.
Now I am heading over to JBS.
The class sounds amazing. I love the idea of using different painting instruments than the norm. I would expect that you feel and emotionally experience your work in a totally new way. Even though I can barely draw stick figures, I love experimenting. I hope to give this a try, in private of course.
Now I am heading over to JBS.
The class sounds amazing. I love the idea of using different painting instruments than the norm. I would expect that you feel and emotionally experience your work in a totally new way. Even though I can barely draw stick figures, I love experimenting. I hope to give this a try, in private of course.
Now I am heading over to JBS.
The class sounds amazing. I love the idea of using different painting instruments than the norm. I would expect that you feel and emotionally experience your work in a totally new way. Even though I can barely draw stick figures, I love experimenting. I hope to give this a try, in private of course.
Now I am heading over to JBS.
Looks like a fun class and I really like the photo that you took of your hubby at work (just followed the link).
Looks like a fun class and I really like the photo that you took of your hubby at work (just followed the link).
Looks like a fun class and I really like the photo that you took of your hubby at work (just followed the link).
Looks like a fun class and I really like the photo that you took of your hubby at work (just followed the link).
This may be my favorite of all your posts. And since I love them all, that’s saying tons. I also *LOVE* your collage. Beautifully done, and the very slight touches of yellow are inspired.
This may be my favorite of all your posts. And since I love them all, that’s saying tons. I also *LOVE* your collage. Beautifully done, and the very slight touches of yellow are inspired.
This may be my favorite of all your posts. And since I love them all, that’s saying tons. I also *LOVE* your collage. Beautifully done, and the very slight touches of yellow are inspired.
This may be my favorite of all your posts. And since I love them all, that’s saying tons. I also *LOVE* your collage. Beautifully done, and the very slight touches of yellow are inspired.
Wow, you’re so lucky. If there were something like that around here I’d be jumping with joy! It looks so much fun, thanks for sharing a bit of it with us.
Wow, you’re so lucky. If there were something like that around here I’d be jumping with joy! It looks so much fun, thanks for sharing a bit of it with us.
Wow, you’re so lucky. If there were something like that around here I’d be jumping with joy! It looks so much fun, thanks for sharing a bit of it with us.
Wow, you’re so lucky. If there were something like that around here I’d be jumping with joy! It looks so much fun, thanks for sharing a bit of it with us.
Ooooh…. looks like a dream class! Amazing experience, Julie!!! I love museums atmosphere: in the past I took a class on papermaking in a museum in my home country… the whole exprience was great, but being inside the museum was really magic!!! Love what you did there!
Ooooh…. looks like a dream class! Amazing experience, Julie!!! I love museums atmosphere: in the past I took a class on papermaking in a museum in my home country… the whole exprience was great, but being inside the museum was really magic!!! Love what you did there!
Ooooh…. looks like a dream class! Amazing experience, Julie!!! I love museums atmosphere: in the past I took a class on papermaking in a museum in my home country… the whole exprience was great, but being inside the museum was really magic!!! Love what you did there!
Ooooh…. looks like a dream class! Amazing experience, Julie!!! I love museums atmosphere: in the past I took a class on papermaking in a museum in my home country… the whole exprience was great, but being inside the museum was really magic!!! Love what you did there!
very cool class. this makes me miss art school. your drawings are beautiful and so not ridiculous but i understand the inevitable to compare yourself to others. love peeking in on your blog. your are *inspirational*.
very cool class. this makes me miss art school. your drawings are beautiful and so not ridiculous but i understand the inevitable to compare yourself to others. love peeking in on your blog. your are *inspirational*.
very cool class. this makes me miss art school. your drawings are beautiful and so not ridiculous but i understand the inevitable to compare yourself to others. love peeking in on your blog. your are *inspirational*.
very cool class. this makes me miss art school. your drawings are beautiful and so not ridiculous but i understand the inevitable to compare yourself to others. love peeking in on your blog. your are *inspirational*.