Thursday, September 30, 2010

Updating artist blog

Updating artist blog. Working yesterday in Tawa, nothing gives me more pleasure than school kids getting excited about what results can be achieved with a few pastels. A couple of ten year-olds chatted at length (how can you see green and purple in a dog? How do you make things look near and far?) and then left, armed with tips and insights, to hopefully try drawing their own black labrador. Increasingly I am thinking about teaching but need to explore possibilities. Not being academically trained I don't want to pass on bad habits. But I keep getting asked if I do give lessons and hate saying 'no'.

Here I started with an error. I used the side of the paper with bolder texture. But whenever I make a mistake I persevere to see what can be salvaged.





5 comments:

Mark Hubbard said...

I've always wished I could draw/sketch/paint. Especially sketch. But don't seem to have any innate ability whatsoever; in fact, I'm hopeless.

Pity you don't give lessons ;)

One question though: do you believe such as ability is innate, or can it be taught?

(I'm moving to the view one can't teach oneself. I'm sure there's some important philosophical issue here.)

The dog is great, and who 'would' have thought of putting a purple base in there.

Anonymous said...

You have a genuine talent - whether God-given or learned - and if you can share it with others then go for it!

I truly love the sketch you did of my grand-daughter, and so does everyone who sees it.

Thank you again!

Linda Reid

Lindsay Mitchell said...

"One question though: do you believe such as ability is innate, or can it be taught?"

Not having given lessons that is hard to answer. My instinctive feeling is that anyone can be taught to do what I do because if anything I am a copyist. I see colours and shapes and put them on paper. And I am sure that can be taught. Then, an eye for what works and what doesn't is a matter of taste. Your taste then needs to find a match with the taste of the potential buyer or client.

Imaginative art, creating solely from the mind, is something else. I suppose there is a parallel with music. Some musicians are excellent performers or even interpretors but they can't compose.

I say I taught myself Mark but I learnt through library books, and trial and error. There are published step by step demonstrations that you can copy that will teach you a great deal. Just make sure you have good quality tools. A strong desire to produce something will carry you a long way. And perseverance.

baxter said...

Brilliant,looks just like my boy.

Manolo said...

Mark stole my thunder.

When comes to drawing I'm close to useless, that's why I have a lot of admiration for people who can sketch.

I suspect it can be taught to some extent, but I would consider it an innate gift.