This Is Art.

Hi there

By tonight I will have completed the painting part of my latest acrylic cartoon, and once it is dry etc I will begin making the frame/support for it, and draw a line under it (no pun intended). I have not done any of these for quite a while, but this is one I have been asked to do by a family friend for her daughter - a 'Hello Kitty'. Once it is complete, I will photograph it and upload it onto here.

Although I have always enjoyed working on these, I feel it is about time to call it a day with the cartoons, and begin to concentrate more on my oils and watercolours. The freedom of being let loose with a palette knife after the strict colouring and black-lining that entails with a cartoon is amazing, I can tell you - and the ease and looseness of a watercolour is so liberating!

It was part of my collection of cartoon works that I used to take part in the 'This Is Art' event run throughout  parts of Lincolnshire during the summer of 2011. A range of events over a couple of months covered art, dance, music, drama, film making, singing etc. Although these are the usual sorts of event you would assume, the emphasis was also on the much lesser known forms of art - such as woodcarving, writing, story telling, story reading, needlecarfts etc

The artworks supplied by the artists were distributed for display to a variety of participating outlets around the local community. Many of the events had both an amateur and a professional element to them, and the whole thing was a great success. I think plans are already afoot to run the scheme again next year.

That sparked a thought (I try to have at least one a week!), asking myself how many artists (full time and amateur) support local events like this one - more often than not under their own steam, and for no gain at all except the thrill and satisfaction of taking part, and maybe a little publicity? In that sense is the spirit of community dead or alive where you live? Or - do you support local artistic events by attending them in your area? Like I said - just a thought.

For further info and ideas on the event, try searching for www.thisisart.org

Until next time, when I'll let you into another summer event I attended - whatever you art - enjoy it.

Paul

And then there were Two!

Hello there.

Quick update for you in between coats of drying acrylic - so you know it will be a speedy one.

Oh my - last week I was told that my art intake was dropping down from four to three sessions per week - and now I start this week being down to just two! How come I hear you all type back?

Simple; last night's Life Drawing Group was cancelled due to lack of numbers, which is an awfully sad shame, and hopefully will not become the norm. The folks who run it - the 20-21 Gallery in Scunthorpe, North Lincs, need a minimum of eight to make it a viable session, and it was down two last night to six artists.

Hopefully we can all try and bang the drum and try to get more support for it, because it is a difficult thing in itself to get models in some areas, and once this is gone, I fear it may be for good.

Brushes crossed for next Moday.

Whatever your art, please enjoy it.

Paul.

Last of the 'Full Weeks'.

Hello there!

Yesterday - Thursday - was the 'last of the full weeks' as such in my little art world.

After what seems close to being a lifetime of attending 4 art sessions a week (one Life Drawing in a nearby town, one Tuesday kid's group, one Thursday kid's group and one adults group on a Tuesday evening), I now find it down to 3, as the local art group leader has deemed it fit to drop the Tuesday kid's groups, due to falling numbers. It is hoped to be able to combine all the kid's into the Thursday session.

Obviously it may not go down well with everyone, probably more so with parent's who have their routines; some may sadly stop coming altogether, but it does not make sense to be open twice a week for just a couple of children per session, especially in this economic climate. My best hope is that those who really want to come and learn some artistic techniques, who want to progress and improve their abilities will be the ones that do accept the change.

Personally I would much rather sit with perhaps 4 youngsters who are serious about what they are doing or want to do, than have maybe upwards of a dozen or so who treat the place like some sort of after school club.

Hopefully after you read what I put in my last post you may remember we have around 3 youngsters who want to make a concerted effort with their art, so starting next week we will be able to see if they can work in a one day a week group.

Right, things to do, places to go, and some more blog pages to start and plan, so until next time - whatever your art - enjoy it.

Paul

The First Week Back

Now then Bloggers - how the devil are you?

Thought I'd have a brief resume of the first week back after the school holidays, and like plenty of places, that's the time when our kid's and adults art groups close down for the summer too, as well as the Life Drawing Group I'm a member of nearby. I guess in the long term it does do us all good to have a break: or does it?

Millions of adults around the world will be saying the same thing - "It doesn't seem like 2 minutes since they broke up!" And, I guess to a certain extent it's true, though I feel that 'since I was a lad', the youngsters I know around here are now admitting to being bored and actually WANT to get back to school. Sign of the times eh? We always had loads of things to do to occupy our time, but even with all these modern gadgets, games and technology - they can't wait to get back.

Our art group and it's re-opening had not been properly promoted by the proprietor, so on Tuesday we only had ONE child turn up, and on Thursday we only had TWO children (both sisters). What I found interesting was that Tuesday's child had been carrying on practicing and using her sketch book during the summer, and the eldest of the two who came on Thursday had been doing the same thing (to a lesser extent as they had been away several times during the break). That's a great testament to both of them, and they both have even at this early stage of their lives and school careers (they are both not in senior school yet) - want to carry on with artistic based careers. Obviously neither of these two were bored!

I teach art to children, or should I say I help them and encourage them with their art as technically I am not a qualified teacher. But whatever the technicalities of it, I find it very satisfying to have children like these who actually sit and listen to what you say, watch what you do, intelligently question why you do things, then go and try their best at interpreting what they have just encountered. One wants to be a furnishings and interiors designer, the other is setting her sights on getting into private school for her art, finally becoming an artist in her own rights.

Both have a range of "cheaper" materials at home with which they already work, but both are seriously interested (and their Mum's know too) about buying their own "artists range" of products they can learn to confidently use with us and at home. They seriously experiment with styles and techniques based on what they have learnt, and even at their early ages are both slowly building their own portfolio's. What a comparison to those who were bored and couldn't wait to get back to school eh?

As always - whatever your art - please enjoy it!

Paul