Cary the Great!

If you have not yet taken a workshop at WhidbeyIsland Fine Art Studio (WIFAS) in Langley, Washington run by Cary Jurriaans, we want you to know what you are missing. As an artist, as well as the owner of WIFAS, Cary Jurriaans knows what artists need when attending an art workshop. 

The following was written by an art instructor about WIFAS, specifically for artists considering attending a WIFAS workshop.

 

It takes one to know one!

Cary Jurriaans, artist and owner of WIFAS has attended many a workshop in her lifetime. In other words, she has been where you will be when you attend one of her workshops, a student on the learning end of things— and to that end, she thinks like you do!

Cary already knows what you are asking yourself about the workshop:

1.   Will there be a good spot for me to view the model when I paint?

Yes, Cary always has 2 models for each session for 8 students or more, guaranteeing you a good spot.

2.   Will I have plenty of room for all my stuff when I set up?

Again, yes.  WFAS has about 3,000 square feet (give or take a few) for you and fellow artists to spread out in, this is for large workshops.

3. What about still life workshops—I have been stuck in some really bad spots before trying to paint the subject—will there be enough setups to work from without having to stand on my head?

Yes and yes again! Cary has still life setups for each student. You heard right—one student per still life set up.  Virtually unheard of!

4.   How could it get any better? 

Did we mention food?  Coffee, water, light snacks, set up and waiting on you each morning! In addition, organized “out to eat” dinners for the 4 day workshops. Yes, WIFAS workshops just do it better! 

5.   What about the 5 day workshops?

Cary goes all out. She has you to her home for a mixer with great food for all the artists to hang out, talk shop and get to know each other better.

6.   Still got questions?

Just take a look at what others who have attended a workshop at WIFAS and see what they have to say!

If you are looking for an art workshop to attend, we invite you to head on over to our website and check out all the great upcoming classes WIFAS is offering for the remainder of 2012.

Landscapes with Todd Telander

Todd Telander will be teaching a Plein Air and Studio Landscape workshop at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio (WIFAS) in June. Giving careful attention to texture and surface, Todd paints primarily in oils. In the class, Todd will focus on creating convincing and visually arresting landscape paintings.

 Read our recent interview with Todd to get a feel for who he is as an artist.

Q: When did your interest in art begin and how long have you been an artist?

A: My interest in art began in earnest in 1988, when I decided to enroll in a class in Scientific Illustration to supplement my degrees in Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Something clicked for me, and devoted my time to the study of drawing and painting animals and plants, especially birds. My professional career began as a scientific illustrator but morphed into a wildlife artist, then a painter of landscape.

Q: What do you seek to communicate through your art or your art instruction?

 A: My inspiration for painting is the natural world. When I see something that sparks my interest, I want to figure out what that is, distill it, and convert it to paint. Sharing this with others completes the circle because they then get to some part of the experience that I had at the beginning.

Q: What drives you as an artist?

A: As above, I am very sensitive to visual input from the natural world. It is exciting and challenging for me to figure out the fundamental visual aspects of a scene or subject that makes it special. To take these aspects and convert them to paint and canvas is quite satisfying and mysterious.

Q: What is a recent piece of art you created and what inspired you to paint it?

A: I recently painted a landscape of the Blue Mountains, just outside of Walla Walla, where I live. What inspired it? This is difficult to articulate. There is an internal spark, some moment of elation when confronted with certain combinations of light, color, and shape. It is, I suppose, different for everyone, which is why there are so many different tastes in art. For this particular painting, I had the spark when viewing the scene, then went about trying to paint the essence of the scene in paint. It was three simple bands; field, mountains, and sky, but exaggerating the darkness of the foreground grasses to give the mountains a feel of glowing light. If I get a part of the emotion that I felt from the actual scene when I view the finished painting, I consider it a success.

Q: Do you have a favorite brand of paints, brushes, or canvas that you use?

A: No. I am not partial to any brand. I couldn't even tell you what brand of materials I have unless I looked at the labels. I think experimentation is good. I tell my students not to worry too much about brands—great art can be created with a stick dipped in a cup of coffee, and really bad art can be created with Old Holland.

Q: What advice do you have for artists seeking to improve their work?

A: My greatest advice is to continue drawing as a way to train the eyes to see, and not to rush. Focus on the biggest shapes and draw them with care, then give them a discreet color. Many painters are in a hurry to get to the details before considering the foundation of the initial design.

Q: What do you think is unique about Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio’s workshops?

A: It is such beautiful place, and the light is ethereal. It will be my first time teaching there, so I look forward to learning more about the school. 

Painting the Everyday with Pam Ingalls

Pam Ingalls will be teaching a Still Life and Portrait workshop at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio (WIFAS) in May. Strong color and sound drawing are primary in Pam’s paintings. Her choice of simple subject matter is surprising, sometimes humorous, and always full of emotion.

Read our recent interview with Pam to get a feel for who she is as an artist.

Q: When did your interest in art begin and how long have you been an artist?

A: Both of my parents are artists, so drawing was just a part of our family life. In Junior High I started to get hooked, and I majored in Art at Gonzaga U—where my father was an art professor. I also went to the Accademia in Florence, Italy my junior year. But I didn't really completely decide to give my all to art until I was in my early 30's. 

Q: What do you seek to communicate through your art or your art instruction?

 A: My favorite subject matter is everyday life and everyday people. I hope that people will get a new look at their own surroundings by seeing my version of everyday life. Maybe they'll be inspired to express what they see in their own way. 

 

Q: What drives you as an artist?

A: I'm always striving to get more skill, to paint more fluidly.

Q: What is a recent piece of art you created and what inspired you to paint it?

A: It could be anywhere at all that I get inspired to paint. I was at my friend Sandy's house last summer when I spotted the sink in her loft. I knew I would have to paint the lovely, everyday scene. 

     Also, I've been painting portraits in different small communities that are similar in size to Vashon Island, where I live. One of my favorite portraits from this long-term series was a girl I painted named Josalin in Comalapa, Guatemala. Sort of an imp, she had a wonderful, honest look to her. I couldn't resist painting her!

Q: Do you have a favorite brand of paints, brushes, or canvas that you use?

A: I got hooked on DaVinci paints about 25 years ago because they are so buttery. I'm used to them, so I know just how to mix the colors I want. I use a very limited palette: two reds, a warm yellow, two blues, black, and white. I like soft brushes, and any brand will do for me. I paint on gessoed masonite.

Q: What advice do you have for artists seeking to improve their work?

A: I think making copies of paintings you admire is one of the best ways to improve. With all the access we have from books and the internet, we can learn from almost any artist that's ever lived! It's never been so easy to learn! 

Living Her Dream

Dreama Toole Perry is an artist living her dream. Both an artist and an author, Dreama simply enjoys what she does. 

 

Dreama—her real name gifted to her by her Kentucky grandmother— says that painting allows her to experience the joy of life at a deeper level. Her handling of color combined with an exuberant brush work creates paintings that stir the senses. Dreama says she paints special moments in life—flowers set afire by sunlight, cats napping peacefully, the touch of a kitty-cat kissing bare ankles.

One fan of Dreama’s work says “Dreama’s paintings are fun and luscious, full of color, life and beauty. Sounds like a description of the artist herself. I have had the privilege of getting to know Dreama and the opportunity to study under her, and have witnessed firsthand how every stroke that lands on her canvas is a reflection of her radiant spirit and love of life. To me, that’s art! I look forward to collecting her work over the years and filling my house with her dazzling work.”

A generous artist, Dreama shares with others her knowledge and skills. In addition to teaching art classes, Dreama hosts a weekly radio show with cohost Leslie Saeta. This #1 Art Show on Blog Talk Radio discusses the business side of art. The topics of this show include how to sell more art online, what galleries are looking for, and how successful artists market their art.

Dreama’s book The Artist’s Toolbox: Tools of Shameless Self Promotion (and How to Use Them Like a Pro) teaches artists how to get the business side of art up and running. The book covers websites, blogs, and resources artists need to market their art.

Artists love Dreama’s inspirational teaching. She has received comments from students that range from “I have taken a number of workshops and this is the absolute best!  I just want to get to work with you again...” to “I learned so much and I can't wait to go home and paint!” to “You have such a great sense of humor and I am sure I have not laughed as much in another workshop before!” Warm, energetic, fun, and inspirational, that is Dreama. 

Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio is pleased that Dreama will be teaching a workshop for us on “For the Love of Color” in March 2012. The workshop is currently full, but you can have your name placed on a waiting list in case of cancellations. Just email us.

 

 

Drawing with Albert Rose

Albert Rose is a lifelong Northwest artist. Over the years, he has won numerous awards at exhibitions and shows in the Northwest. He teaches Drawing Fundamentals at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. New students are always welcome at these classes. Read what Albert has to say about his work as an artist.

When did your interest in art begin and how long have you been an artist?

My interest in art has been lifelong. I have fond memories of 1st grade drawing experiences (airplanes on the blackboard, elephant eating snakes -- little boy stuff). Somewhere later in my elementary school life, I found an oil painting kit in the attic that had belonged to my mother, and I started making paintings. These early paintings found their way onto the kid's page of Oregon Farmer Magazine, at $5 a crack. Wow, I was published and rich!

What do you seek to communicate through your art?

I don't know that I have a particular mantra, perhaps decency and order. I don't find any satisfaction in negativism, but the communication itself is important. It's not so important what I say as it is to say it well. I try to emphasize the "life" in my still lifes. A sense of immediacy quite delights me.

What drives you as an artist?

Well said statements, and the incredible beauty of everyday things.

What is a recent piece of art you created and what inspired you to paint it?

I'm currently working on a still life that features a white coffee mug. I was simply looking for a vehicle that would let me explore the beautiful reflections in a ceramic surface without being terribly concerned about the color.

Do you have a favorite brand of paints, brushes, or canvas that you use?

I don’t, but I do have favorite brands for pencils and paper. I use Tombow Mono100 pencils and Strathmore 500 series bristol paper. I am particular about my tools and supplies, but the quality and functionality is all that really matters, not who makes them. There was a Russian made Kolynski sable brush on the market several years ago under the brand name of Yarka. They weren't fancy, but for the price (cheap) they served quite well.

What advice do you have for artists seeking to improve their work?

Take your work seriously, dig deep, and take advantage of every source of helpful information that you find. Growth and development is hard work.

What do you think is unique about Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio’s workshops?

Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio and Cary reflect the very best quality art in the presenters' work and their teaching skills.

A Painting a Day

Do you dream of selling enough paintings on a regular basis to generate a steady income? It is possible. Duane Keiser, CarolMarine, and many other artists are doing it, and you could too.

Back in 2004, Duane Keiser was your typical fine art artist. He created large paintings, displayed them in galleries, and sold a couple of paintings a year. Then he hit upon a new idea.

 

Duane started spending one to three hours each day working on a postcard-sized painting. He created a blog to write about what he was doing and feature his paintings. He posted his paintings for sale on Ebay and pointed his blog readers to Ebay to purchase each painting. Art collectors saw his art, liked it, wanted it, and clicked to purchase. Within a year, Duane was selling a painting a day and the “A Painting a Day” movement was born.

Soon other artists followed and now thousands of artists are selling paintings each day. These paintings, which are typically less than 8x6 inches, sell for around $100 each, usually under a bidding system offered on an auction site like Ebay. 

 Selling a painting a day does not make an artist rich, but it does generate a steady income, and it could make some famous, like Duane Keiser. The practice of creating a painting a day has many other benefits for artists. Some of these include:

• It develops the disciple of being in your studio every day instead of waiting around for inspiration to strike.

• It allows you to develop and hone your skills and sensibilities through many hours of diligent, regular study and application.

• It allows you to break free of your usual and try new techniques or subject matter you might not normally attempt on a larger painting.

• It allows you to produce a larger body of work, which can build your reputation in the marketplace.

As the painting a day movement has gained steam, art enthusiasts recognize that these stunning little masterpieces were a great way to build their art collection at an affordable price. As a result, more people are making a living as artists, and more people are buying art.

 

Carol Marine will be teaching a workshop on this technique of “A Painting a Day” on February 13-17, 2012, at Whidbey Island FineArt Studio. The class is already full, but we do have a waiting list. If you are interested in learning how you can join with other artists in making a steady income by creating and selling a painting a day, go ahead and add yourself to the waiting list. We may add a second workshop on this topic later in the year if we get enough interest.

Advice from an Award-Winning Artist

David Gray, visual artist, (not to be confused with David Gray, recording artist) is a contemporary figure and still life painter in The Classical Realist Tradition. A Northwest local, David Gray, received his Bachelors of Fine Art right here in Washington at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma.

We had the pleasure of hosting David at our recent Open House.  During the weekend, he conducted a portrait demo of a model. His painting demonstration lasted about 5 hours. 

David started with a small color study before he launched into his serious work. The color study is the image on the right in the picture below.

Already an award-winning artist, one of David’s portraits of a young girl named Hannah has just won the Silver Medal Award in this year’s Oil Painters of America Western Region Exhibition. 

As an art instructor, David tells his students, "Take every opportunity to draw/paint from life. Try not to get too frustrated with perceived failures. Learn everything you can and you will improve loads. If you are still struggling, take a workshop or two. I know I have done that, and with great results. Choose your instructor carefully and you will not feel your time and money have been wasted."

You certainly won't be disappointed if you take a class from David. We are pleased that he will be returning to teach a 3-day workshop at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio next month. His class “Painting the Portrait from Life” will focus on the head.