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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The Pleasure and The Pain..365 Days of Drawing



The pleasure and the pain. Sometimes they are just in too close proximity to fathom.

This is the case with the next drawing in my challenge done last night and my head study demo done today in my teaching class at The California Art Institute.

I liked last night's drawing. It came as fast and easy as pouring chocolate on a sundae. I love cloche hats at the best of times although not on Angelina Jolie in that recent movie which prompted every mall store to carry them for a while. Yawn.

Cut to this morning's demo. It was the same pose almost, the same hat almost. It wasn't however the same artist at the easel.

The drawing was off all the way through if I am honest. I was trying hard for some mystery but it wasn't coming through. It is a challenge to teach in many ways, especially to do a head demo and still be a very VERBAL teacher making sure you get to each students' easel every 15 minutes or so to comment or work on their paintings. Your brain is switching from right to left as fast as tennis ball at Wimbledon.

You don't want a dudd demo. Some teachers ONLY do a demo for the whole class and make everyone watch them. I think this might be a good idea.

So much for practising that drawing every night huh?? Didn't do me much good today.

This is a long hard journey sometimes. For me the battles are not easily won. And behind every small gain, there feels like an army of art mis-steps. Maybe the really talented like Rembrandt just soared without walking in molasses.

All drawings for sale.

7 comments:

Mary Aslin said...

Johanna,
I look forward to your posts every day. I'm not sure what I enjoy more...your painting or your writing.
It is so insightful, humorous and interesting.

And your flourish with the brush is absolutely marvelous.

Many thanks....

Mary

Shelley Wendland said...

Whoa! Your head study today wasn't a dud! I like the one you did last night and maybe today's was more difficult but I liked it! And I liked your teaching today, too! Ah, the dilemma of switching from left to right brain! But you're good at it! Maybe you're being hard on yourself if you expect every class demo to be extraordinary!

I wouldn't like it if in class you only did a demo your students watched. I, for example, can't learn to paint by watching somebody. I gotta DO it. I gotta "see" the model, practice reaching the correct values in the correct spots. I gotta put brush to canvas! I might as well buy a instructional DVD if all I got to do was watch!!

And we didn't see what Rembrandt went through, only the paintings that survived! I was at the LA Art show one year (in Santa Monica), and I saw a painting for sale for several thousand, and I said to myself, I could do THAT! And mind you I was a first year student. I got close to see the name on the wall. It was somebody really famous like Rembrandt (maybe not him, I forget) and the painting was really bad.

So, hang in there!!

PS Did you notice the pile of students enjoying your class?

Shelley

Johanna Spinks said...

Thanks for posting Mary. Always a joy to hear from you. Love your work. Glad you are enjoying the posts. I am constantly surprised to hear who is reading and following this.

Johanna Spinks said...

thanks Shelley for your insightful post. I agree on the actual 'brush to canvas' way to learn you commented on. The demo feels better today but I am always pushing myself. There is definitely something I am not seeing in my head studies at this point, that I am shooting for. Just part of the journey. The desire to continue the desire to grow, to question, and therefore improve, insures artistic improvement.

Glad you enjoyed the class. You are a delight to have on board in every way. I liked your garlic too. Thanks for the glass slipper.

Anonymous said...

So here we are....Johanna what I love about your work is the obvious...exquisiteness...but also there is a distinct style to your drawings...hard to put words into it, but a definite "brush stroke or feel to them". This second rendering, without reading the post, instantly didn't feel like you its not that it is any less accomplished..it has just lost your "flavor". Personally, I have found that happens when I try too hard to push the limit, to get out of a rut, when I go "mental" instead of letting the spirit guide me to the next "stage" whatever that may be. And of course it would be next to impossible for me to be in the flow AND teach AND be present for others during a creation...so who am i to say anything.... bottom line is - even on your "worst days" you are an incredibly talented and gifted artist!

Johanna Spinks said...

Julie, you hit the nail on the head. My flavor wasn't there. EXACTLY. I want it to show up every time and it just doesn't.

I really appreciate your ever so lovely words, I hope to meet you one day. You are obviously a very giving artist!

Anonymous said...

Johanna...yes I too hope to meet some day....next time we drive out to Neptunes Net for seafood...maybe we can hook up, or at a gallery opening I am sure....till then..its just us amongst a gazillion others in Blogville