It has been an extraordinary week for AYB Summer Session Artists! Record breaking temperatures might have contributed to the sense of meditative but productive calm in our un-airconditioned studio at BWAC. However, I am inclined to think it’s just our vibe! Each day at critique I found myself amazed at the deep thinking and profound emotions expressed by our vibrant community of artists.
Our classes are free and open to the public on a first come first serve basis. Within the first minute of the registration going live our spots are filled and a waiting list assembled. [Pro Tip: Always sign up for the waiting list! In case of change in class enrollment we immediately alert the waiting list folks!]
AYB Artist Evelyn Beliveau started the week with our final session of oil painting. The remainder of the week AYB Artist Dede Lovelace had us painting personally significant skateboards.
Evelyn writes a clear and thoughtful recap of their session: “Monday was the conclusion of my four-day series of water-soluble oil painting lessons. This medium is dear to me, as it was integral to my early oil painting studies, and I’ve also made extensive use of it in my painting practice over the last several years. It’s been my absolute pleasure to share this medium with AYB participants, including those who have painted for years but never tried oil paint and those who were painting for the first time during this lesson.
During these four days, we worked on a still life from observation using the indirect painting method, which splits the questions of value (light/dark) and color into different stages (rather than treating both at once, as in the direct painting method). Indirect painting involves three stages, namely underpainting, grisaille, and color glazing.
During the underpainting stage, one color of paint (we used burnt sienna, a reddish-brown earth tone) is thinned with water and applied gesturally to the canvas, then gradually refined until the basic light-dark structure of the image is established. Because the paints we are using have an additive that allows them to mix with water (unlike traditional oil paints), water plays the role that turpentine, mineral spirits, or gamsol would play in traditional oil painting.
Next, in the grisaille (monochromatic) stage, two tubes of paint are used—burnt sienna and titanium white—to build up volumes in tones ranging from dark to light. We used four gradations made from different ratios of burnt sienna and white paint. The paint is still thinned with just water, enough to flow across the canvas, but is worked more thickly and opaquely than in the underpainting stage.
Finally, during color glazing, the dried grisaille provides the value structure as the artist focuses on color. Now with a full palette of colors, paints are mixed based on observation, thinned with linseed oil (or another heavier, oil-based medium), and applied in thin glazes. This is where oil paint reveals one of its most captivating qualities. As layers of glazes are built up, particles of pigment are held within the translucent oil. Then, when light hits the painting, it scatters in the matrix of oil, lending the colors a lustrous glow that is unique to this medium.
On Monday, we had participants jumping in at all stages of the process: those who attended multiple days and were working on color glazing, those with a finished underpainting ready to start the grisaille stage, and newcomers to the lesson starting fresh. In a lightning round of demonstrations, I modeled all three stages of the process, as well as the all-important step of washing brushes. Then, we got straight into work time. Midway through, Meridith and Vee returned with a bounty of refreshments—lemonade, ice, and popsicles—which were gratefully received by all.
We ended the day with another strong and varied group of paintings. Eden’s painting received a compliment from Ed for its strong, iconic depiction of the open book; I would elaborate on the use of repeated gestural marks to suggest the lines of text on the pages. These handmade marks without individual “meanings” collectively point to the idea of text as a repository of knowledge, making this painting a fitting herald for AYB’s Year of Literacy.
Ajani and Jules, both new to the lesson, completed the underpainting and grisaille stages during the session, achieving sensitive portrayals of contour and light. The mix of midtones made from just thinning the burnt sienna and from mixing in white lends a varied, active surface quality to Jules’s piece. Ajani’s piece is characterized by a balance of confidence and delicacy, with a predominantly paler midtone and acute observation of objects (including a fine rendition of the uneven rim of the lefthand vase).
Raquel and Taylor, also new to the lesson, each focused on one or two objects on a broad field of white, leading to comparisons to children’s book illustrations (particularly Raquel’s piece, with its subtle modeling in warm burnt sienna) and animation (with the opening of Taylor’s vase compared to a speaking mouth, rendered in a finely blended, almost claylike grisaille).
Cammie, new to the lesson, worked in an incredibly delicate wash of burnt sienna to create an ethereal underpainting. Jacob and Elizabeth, also new, made use of darker midtones and moved on to the grisaille stage. Jacob’s piece, from a raised POV because of his vantage point near the still life, looks down into one of the pots and features well-observed rendering of light-shadow gradations and the cracked pattern along the rim of the pot (which is also beautifully depicted in Ajani’s piece). Elizabeth’s unusual composition sparked conversation, with its V-shaped formation of objects and only one intersection between the objects and the edges of the canvas (the top lip of the tallest vase).
Vera (new to the lesson) and Ty (returning from Wednesday) were both praised for their paint-handling, with participants marveling over Vera’s gestural marbling of thick light and dark paint. Ty’s piece, admired last time for the richness of its darks, drew even stronger comparisons to Caravaggio in the grisaille stage, featuring closely observed and well-blended transitions between reflected light, core shadow, and main highlight.
Ed and Mich (along with Eden, already mentioned) worked on color glazing, to great effect. Ed’s painting of the cluster of objects overlooking the edge of the stage has bloomed into color, with blues, yellows, purples, and greens coming together with added texture to suggest the color relationships between the objects, the stage, and the background. Mich applied color mainly to a small blue jar on the left and a tall green vase on the right, subtly observing and blending the transitions between highlights, midtones, and shadows; a few notes of color added to the interiors of the pots in between tie the piece together even in its unfinished state.
Many participants took home well-sealed palettes of paint, with plans to continue working on their pieces; I look forward to seeing further progress! The work that this fine group of painters achieved during just four lessons (or fewer, as many participants jumped in for only one or two days) speaks to the attention, focus, and can-do attitude of our participants this summer. I’m honored to participate in the passing along of knowledge and skills from my own wonderful teachers and mentors to the talented and thoughtful AYB community.”
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we designed and painted our own Pro Boards with AYB Artist and professional skateboarder Dede Lovelace. With a well prepared and visually engaging PowerPoint, Dede introduced us to the history of skateboard design from the flat wooden boards of the 1950’s, to the surfing inspired trends, the revolution wheel technology, a surge in popularity in print media which developed hand-in-hand with the visual aesthetics of the time.
Have you checked out the AYB TikTok video Dede, who is part of the AYB Awareness team, made about the session?
Dede explains: “With graffiti taking off the first illustration was drawn under the board. Video games, skateparks and contests ushered in skateboarding as a recognized sport. Professionals who ride for skate companies now release pro model boards, sneakers and more.
To insure we reached a wide audience of AYB Artists, we held three consecutive session this week. I explained that for me skateboarding is at its essence a part of my life in which I push myself to achieve and constantly reach new goals. I am proud of the accomplishments I have made as a skater!
I asked participating artists to think of a personal accomplishment in which they are proud – graduating college, reading more books, learning a new language, or art form, etc. I lead them in a discussion of how one could graphically represent these accomplishments, sharing examples of work by artists and designers as inspiration.
After making pencil design sketches, we worked in acrylic paint on small-scaled wooden skateboard decks.
The resulting work is great!!”
Paintings by Vee Tineo, TJ Edgar, Lila Green, Malaia Simms, Kava Vasquez:
Paintings by Mich Goenawan, Meridith McNeal, Ed Rath, Dede Lovelace
Paintings by Josue Ramirez-Romero, Jacob Rath, Eden Moore, Elizabeth Morales, Liana St Bernard:
Paintings by Vee Tineo, TJ Edgar, Fiona Tsang, Liv Collins
Paintings by Eden Moore, Josue Ramirez-Romero, Charis Herbert, Taylor Branch
Paintings by Lila Green, Eden Moore, Celivette, Andrea Miralles, Adji Kebe
Check out our latest Redbubble items featuring Ed Rath’s fantastic skateboard design!!
Fiona, who attended on Wednesday, wrote: “I attended Dede's AYB Summer Session class yesterday and I just want to start off by saying a huge THANK YOU to you. I woke up this morning feeling still elated from yesterday's class. I loved being pushed creatively in a different way than dance and choreography. Also, you created such a warm and welcoming space and it allowed us to be creative without judgement.”
We have one week of AYB Summer Session 2024 to go…please help us reach our funding needs for the program by donating to our GoFundMe campaign.
Other Art News
You are invited to attend a book launch & live reading by AYB Teaching Artist Hawley Hussey on Saturday 7.20.24 at 4:30pm at BWAC, 481 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn!
AYB Artist Liv Collins, bassist with Joopi, recounts: “Back in February our drummer and I saw our favorite artist perform at the Sultan Room. While we were there we kept talking about how the Sultan Room is our dream venue and we will perform there with Joopi someday. Never imagined it would be happening this fast! We are so excited and honored to be performing at this iconic venue and hope to see our ART YARD family in the crowd!”
Support AYB Artists Jules Lorenzo & Liv Collins by joining us to see Joopi live Friday July 26, 7:30pm at the Sultan Room, 234 Starr St, Brooklyn!
See you next week!!
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