“The painter makes real to others his innermost feelings about all that he cares for. A secret becomes known to everyone who views the picture through the intensity with which it is felt.”
Lucian Freud, Artist

What Makes My Work, My Work

Went through the process the other day of writing down what I think makes my work, my work. Thought you might enjoy the resulting list.

Passionate mark making

Aggressive brushwork

Energy and expressiveness

Formal language combined with emotional content

Love of process

Create/Destroy/Re-create

Minimal color palette

Invent/Re-invent the figure

Tension between abstraction and representation

Dark yet beautiful and accessible

Bold yet sensitive

Powerful yet quiet

Emotional yet introspective

What makes your work, your work?

This was a wonderful exercise to go through. I recommend that every artist take the time to create a list that thoughtfully describes their art. I think that it can be a very valuable process in order to help you clarify what your work is about and why you do what you do.

If you feel like taking on this project, please do not be shy, humble or modest. Be truthful and authentic. Write down everything you can think of that describes your work and your processes, and then edit it later if you want to.

It’s a fun process and potentially eye opening.

Enjoy.

And if you feel like sharing your list with me, please do so. I would be most interested.

Best,

David

[ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS]

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED MIXED MEDIA FIGURE DRAWING & PAINTING

10am - 4pm

Santa Monica/Los Angeles:

January 18, Thursday (Sold Out - Click to Wait List)
January 19, Friday (Sold Out - Click to Wait List)
February 22, Thursday (Sold Out - Click to Wait List)
February 23, Friday (1 Space Available - Click to Enroll)
March 15, Thursday (Sold Out - Click to Wait List)
March 16, Friday 1 Space Available - Click to Enroll)

Atascadero (SLO/CENTRAL CALIFORNIA):

January 26, Friday (Sold Out - Click to Wait List)
January 27, Saturday (Sold Out - Click to Wait List)

Explore contemporary figure drawing, painting and mixed media using graphite, charcoal, pastel, acrylic, and collage. Experiment with different approaches for developing the human form such as realism, expressionism and abstraction. Emphasis is placed on observation, structure, line quality, volume, composition, technique, experimentation, and originality. Discussions, art historical examples, and demonstration are all a part of the curriculum.

Students work from a model and respond and manipulate their chosen mediums to arrive at a dynamic and unique solution. The focus is on... + CLICK FOR MORE.