Representational Figurative Painting

Robert Lemler’s students report that they see immediate improvement in their art under his instruction. Next year, in June 2014, Robert will be teaching a workshop at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio on “Painting the Figurative Subject.” His course will focus on exploring the art of painting portraits, nude, and costumed subjects. 

Recently we caught up with Robert and asked him to share with us a little about his art.

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

A: My interest in drawing began at an early age. While in elementary school, I was encouraged to develop my interest in art and began occasional art classes. As a high school student, I won a scholastic competition sponsored by the Phoenix Illustrators Group which awarded the winners scholarships toward their educations. I then attended Northern Arizona University, majoring in painting and drawing. I never considered another educational path. I have worked as an artist and teacher my entire adult life. 

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

A: As an artist, I seek to interpret the visual characteristics of the motifs I chose to paint in a naturalistic manner. I hope to find a resonance of veracity that may be felt by those viewing my works. 

Q: What drives you as an artist? 

A: I am constantly driven as an artist by the desire to improve my skills while exploring the various motifs in which I am interested. I consider myself as primarily a figurative painter who also enjoys still life and landscape subjects. 

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

A: Within the figurative subject, there are many possible interests to explore. In a recent painting of a seated nude subject I found interest in the dark tonality of a narrow depth of field. I was also interested in the further exploration of mylar as a painting ground. 

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

A: I generally use good bristle brushes, Classens canvases, and Rembrandt or Utrecht oil paints. 

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

A: I always encourage aspiring painters to explore various tools and materials and to build their skills painting from life as much as possible. 

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

A: I have not previously been to the Whidbey Island Art Studio but desired to teach there based on the quality of the program and the talented artists they work with. 

Capturing Humanity

One of our goals at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio (WIFAS) is to bring exemplary teachers to host workshops so that our students get the best possible instruction to help each one improve as an artist. We are pleased to have artist couple Scott Burdick and Susan Lyon hosting an oil painting workshop in portraits at WIFAS in July 2014.

Scott Burdick and Susan Lyon are award-winning artists who travel the world and paint its occupants. They enjoy passing on the knowledge that they have received from teachers who were significant to them in their artistic development. Scott is known for his ability to capture the humanity of subjects as well as his mastery of color and light. Susan is admired for her sensitivity and delicacy of hand, especially in portraits.

These two artists have the special knack for getting inside an artist’s head and making it come out your hand. With the unusual ability to easily go back and forth between both sides of the brain, Scott and Susan make great teachers because they can communicate while they paint to help other artists understand their process. This coupled with Scott and Susan’s ability to put their students at ease creates a wonderful learning environment. In addition to working to make the atmosphere comfortable and accepting, Scott and Susan also make a point of spending time with each artist in the class so that all students receive input from both teachers.

This workshop is sure to be an excellent experience for everyone who attends. However, if you are not able to attend, but want to learn from these master painters, you can:

• Order their video lessons availablethrough their website.
• View the images from their step-by-step painting demonstrations, also on their website.
• Order Susan’s book Visions & Voyages.

The most powerful learning tool is in-person, hands-on instruction. That’s what WIFAS is about, nurturing your artist talent and soul!

Imparting Knowledge

Deuteronomy Rabbah once said, “In vain have you acquired knowledge if you have not imparted it to others.”

Fortunately for Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio, we have many artists who are willing to impart their knowledge of excellent technique and style to artists who are willing to learn. One such artist, Henry Yan, teaches art full-time. His students report that Yan has a huge wealth of knowledge that he is willing to share.

Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio is excited to have Henry return to teach a class on Drawing and Painting theCostumed Figure in January 2014. The workshop will focus on drawing techniques with charcoal (or red chalk) on newsprint, drawing paper and toned paper. Painting will be done the last two days of class for those who are interested.

Henry has much knowledge to share about paintings. A few of his tips include:

• Be especially careful when using light yellow and white so you keep it clean.
• Don't show brushwork everywhere because you need some areas more finished
• Always have a portion of your painting that is mysterious.
• Subtlety is power: make clear, lose, but with some areas really loud.
• The juncture between two shapes looks more natural if you paint the first shape larger than necessary, and then overlap slightly with the second shape.
• Distinguishing between cast (hard edge) and core (soft edge) shadows will enable a 3-diminsional look right away; often need to sharpen cast shadows.
• Be careful about the light source on your canvas and palette. If it’s too yellow you will paint a yellow painting. 

 

Henry also has some advice for new painters:

• Follow the rules when you’re learning.
• Copy master paintings.
• Pastels are very helpful for getting used to oil painting with color.
• Students tend to make everything clear—need to move beyond that stage.

Artist Henry Yan describes himself this way: “I teach drawing, I teach painting and I teach anything that my students like to share with me. Many years I have taught, and still I am teaching. My shoulder hurts, my throat's sore—because I paint and I teach.”

Other than teaching techniques, Henry will encourage students to find their own way of seeking beautifully designed compositions from each pose and interpret what they found with a personal artistic approach rather than simply copying what they see.

 

If you are not able to attend our workshop with Henry next year, but want to learn more from his wealth of knowledge, Henry has written a book to help you. His book, Henry Yan’s Figure Drawing: Techniques andTips, can be found on highest recommendation lists by many popular art book sellers and used as text book by instructors and students of art schools. 

Nourishment for Your Soul

With so many art workshops across the country and even internationally, choosing the right instructor and setting for an art class can be overwhelming. 

Why come to Whidbey Island for your next art class? What sets Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio (WIFAS) apart from other art studies offering art workshops? 

Our motto “Feeding the Artistic Soul” sums up what we do. A workshop at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio will feed your artist's soul in three unique ways. 

1. Our picturesque, pastoral setting. 

Whidbey Island, located across the Puget Sound just 30 miles from Seattle, is a wonderful place for relaxation and tranquility. WIFAS’s location in Langley, a quaint historical village, offers views of the water. In addition, the island’s farms, forests, bluffs, and beaches provide the foregrounds to many aquatic vistas. The quiet and romantic surroundings that are so much a part of the Whidbey Island experience help to restore and feed every artist’s soul. Coming to a workshop at WIFAS is like taking a relaxing vacation with picturesque gardens and farms, and water, island, and mountain views in every direction. 

  

2. Personalized approach. 

Each workshop offered at WIFAS includes personalized instruction for the artists in attendance. There is always plenty of room for everyone to have their own easel with elbow room to allow creative juices to flow. We place an emphasis on utilizing seasoned artists who provide good instruction delivered in such a manner that it sticks with our attendees long after they go home, continuing to strengthen and nourish each soul. In addition, WIFAS ensures that our students’ needs are attended to, from delicious snacks to personal questions answered.

 

3. Class dinner. 

Every workshop presented by Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio includes a dinner hosted by Cary Jurriaans in her home for the instructor and all the students in the class. For many students, this dinner is a highlight of their time at WIFAS as they get to interact with their instructor and the other students in an informal, relaxed atmosphere. We guarantee the food will be delicious, ensuring that it feeds your soul as well as your stomach. 

 

You can find a list of our upcoming workshops on our website at http://whidbeyislandfas.com/workshops.html. Sign up for one or more of our upcoming workshops and get the nourishment your artistic soul.

Improving a Palette

We recently asked a couple artists who have taken workshops at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio (WIFAS) to answer a few questions for us about our classes. Pat Brookes jumped at the chance to tell us how she has benefited from her WIFAS art instruction experiences. You can read what she has to share about our classes and her resulting growth as an artist in the interview below.

Q: Which workshop at WIFAS have you recently attended?

A: I have taken multiple workshops over the past couple of years at WIFAS including Jeff Legg, Dreama Tolle Perry, Ron Stocke, Pam Ingalls, Qiang Huang, and Jim Lamb.

 

Q: What did you find most helpful about the art instruction you received at the workshop?

A: I am finding that a limited palette seems to make my paintings integrated; less chance of mud, although even mud if you can identify the base color has an interesting quality.

Q: Did you learn any new techniques or were you reminded of old ones in a new way in the workshop?

A: I learned to make a color base, and then change up that base to darker, lighter, warmer, cooler.  In addition, I learned to make fewer pat-pat strokes and more meaningful placement of color. Various artists taught interesting techniques:

Pam Ingalls takes three strokes with one color before changing the color. She uses a limited palette only earth color is yellow oxide. Her setups are exciting and different.

Dreama may take one or two strokes and loads her brush, then lays the paint down. She also works with a limited palette that doesn't include earth colors other than transparent yellow oxide. Dreama uses specific brushes that she tells you about.

Qiang Huang also uses a limited palette, transparent paints and pure colors. His b rushes are non-specific and cheap, but he makes them work well! His work is extra ordinary and we all felt privileged to take a class from him

Q: What did you appreciate most about the setup or structure of the workshop?

A: I think that Cary goes overboard in making everyone feel welcome. We were fed and pampered as if we were in her own home.

Q: Were you inspired to paint a particular image during or after the workshop?

A: I sold my best painting done during the Jeff Legg workshop.  

Q: How do you feel your painting has improved as a result of a workshop you attended?

A: My friends tell me they can see a difference in my painting.  I have just been using oils for a year-and-a-half, but it’s messed up my ability to paint watercolor.  

Q: Could you share a highlight from your experience at WIFAS—either from the workshop or your time on Whidbey Island?

A: I just painted plein air with Jim Lamb at Double Bluff.  We started early in the morning and it was such a beautiful day. I enjoyed the experience of being outdoors and working at representing what I saw. There were tons of people on the beach and even Rainier was out. What more could you ask for?

Q: Are you planning on attending any other workshops with WIFAS in the near future?

A: I feel so lucky to have a quality place to continue my art education right here in my own town! Yes, I will be back.

An Artist's Perspective

We recently asked a couple artists who have taken workshops at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio (WIFAS) to answer a few questions for us about our classes. Pam Leiper jumped at the chance to tell us how she has benefitted from her WIFAS art instruction experiences. You can read what she has to share about our classes and her resulting growth as an artist in the interview below. 

Q: Which workshop at WIFAS have you recently attended? 

A: I have taken two workshops at Whidbey, a figure drawing workshop with Henry Yan in 2012, and an oil painting workshop with Dreama Perry in 2013. 

Q: What did you find most helpful about the art instruction you received at the workshop? 

A: My first passion is figures, so my workshop with Henry Yan was inspirational. It was five days of heaven. I tend to labor over my figures, and Henry can capture the pose even with the quickest sketches. He has exceptional control using his razor sharp charcoal pencils, and he demonstrated beautiful techniques to soften shadow shapes. I would take his class again and again until I achieve the same skill in my own life drawings. 

Q: Did you learn any new techniques or were you reminded of old ones in a new way in the workshop? 

A: I do enjoy painting in oils, however I tend to make 'mud' with color. Dreama's palette is always fresh and she has lovely brush work, so I thought her workshop would help me with my own oils. She provided a very fun three day experience, as fun, nourishing and colorful as she is. She demonstrated her technique of laying down transparent color first, then covering with colorful opaques and controlled but bold brushwork. This has been useful for me, and I've been practicing this technique since the workshop.

Q: What did you appreciate most about the setup or structure of the workshop? 

A: Cary Jurriaans always does a great job organizing the WIFAS studio space. There was ample room to paint, easel space is allotted democratically, and she always has lovely refreshments on hand. 

Q: Were you inspired to paint a particular image during or after the workshop? 

 A: Since Henry's workshop, I continue to work on figures. I haven't mastered his technique… but will keep trying. Since Dreama's, I have tried a few oils. 

Q: Could you share a highlight from your experience at WIFAS— either from the workshop or your time on Whidbey Island? 

A: The WIFAS studio is located in the very picturesque village of Langley on Whidbey Island. It is such a tranquil and gorgeous setting— how can an artist not be inspired? My husband and wee dog accompanied me this last time. We splurged and stayed at the dog-friendly Langley Inn. I would return to WIFAS again and again just to visit the Island. 

Q: Are you planning on attending any other workshops with WIFAS in the near future? 

A: I will definitely return. I'll just keep an eye on the upcoming calendar! 

Points, Masses, & Lines

Artist Zhaoming Wu grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution. At the age of 8 the government closed the schools and he had to leave. He spent his days copying comic books and studying Chinese brush painting from a book. When he was 12, his mother, a doctor, recognizing his talent asked a patient, a professor at Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, to train her son. Today, Zhaoming’s paintings are exhibited around the world. 

Whidbey Island FineArt Studio has the privilege of hosting a “Luminous Figure” workshop by Zhaoming. By helping his students focus on the basics and not get lost in the details and particulars, Zhaoming helps others create spectacular figure paintings.

Wu's design principles derive from traditional Chinese painting. He begins composing a new image by determining what he calls points, masses, and lines. While a painting can be built on two or even just one of these three elements, Zhaoming prefers to build his compositions on a mixture of all three. “I use points, masses, and lines the way a composer uses notes to write a song,” he explains.

In his work and teaching, Zhaoming also gives a lot of consideration to the transition between light and shadow. He teaches the following about painting with his techniques:
 

“At the beginning I keep the treatment of shadows flat, with almost no form, but I keep lots of color. After working on the shadows I begin working on the light side. 

“I start with a 2D approach, thinking first of shape, then of value, and then color. First comes 2D—shapes and angles; then 3D—form, volume, and structure.” 

“I use thicker paint on the light side to give texture. Some touches of the brush are very delicate, and some are more scumbling. At the final stages, edge control is very important. There should be a lost and found quality to the edges in order to show atmosphere and depth.”

We hope that you will join us this August 2013 for Zhaoming’s figure workshop.

 

Stunning Plein Air Paintings

Annette Hanna will be teaching a Plein Air for Pastel workshop at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio (WIFAS) in July. Annette uses this vibrant medium to create visually stunning landscapes, and will teach you to do the same.

Read our recent interview with Annette 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: When I was a child the first thing I remember wanting was colored pencils, not toys or dolls. I've been drawing all my life and painting for about 40 years in oils, and probably ten years or so in pastels.

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

A: I seek to communicate human experience, whether that be knowing a particular person or seeing a breathtaking landscape. There are many beautiful things in this world and I hope to recreate and share many of them.

Q: What drives you as an artist?

A: I just have a compulsion to create an image that can't be denied. Give me a pencil, brush or pastel stick and time evaporates. I constantly observe and see things that I don't think others see and want to put them down on paper or canvas.

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

A: I passed by a scene recently that lasted about five minutes and was so striking that I knew I had to paint it.

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

A: In pastels I like Unisons, but also use nupastels and some particular faber castel colors. My favorite paper is Wallis Belgian Grey.

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

A: The best advice that I give all my students is to get a sketch book and use it as often as possible. Visit art museums, galleries and local art shows, and keep painting.

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

A: WIFAS, run by Cary Jurriaans, an extremely fine painter herself, has consistently excellent instructors, a friendly and supportive atmosphere, and is located in beautiful and inspiring surroundings.