Many (many!) moons ago, when I was doing an art foundation course at Hull Art College, I fell in love with life drawing. I had always drawn quite obsessively, hence the decision to follow my (he)art and improve my skills. The opportunity to draw someone who would happily hold a pose for an hour or more without any embarrassment was a revelation to me. Our usual model was a no-nonsense young woman who would cycle to college through the busy city with just her dress on, rush in late, fling her clothes into a corner, and model for us all morning. We were a mixed bunch of 17/18 year olds, and the various reactions to this were hilarious. I loved it – and I still have some of the drawings I did back then somewhere. I’ll have a look and see if I can find one for you..... On a foundation course the aim is to give students a taste of all the different disciplines and avenues that they can follow in art. Usually this is broken into a few weeks concentrating on each subject, and we tried our hands at graphic design, photography, three-dimensional work and ‘Fine Art’ (there were probably other subjects, but as I said, this was a long time ago!). I had really been looking forward to Fine Art – that’s what I dreamed of doing; being An Artist and painting proper Paintings. What a shock though. This was the 70’s, and the thinking at the time was to encourage ‘self-expression’ rather than teach traditional skills and techniques. I was presented with a big white canvas, oil paints and brushes, given a rudimentary explanation and then left to it. No instruction, no model, no still life, nothing. I painted an imaginary scene in shades of sticky mud and hated everything about it. I don’t remember what happened for the rest of my ‘Fine Art segment – I think that I just went back to drawing the model. Later, when it came to choosing an art college to graduate to, I searched the UK for a course that would actually teach me traditional skills. None of the Fine Art courses appealed to me, as they all seemed to be following the same ‘self-expression’ abstract approach, and I decided to study Illustration at Harrow. What a happy choice! I didn’t particularly want to be an Illustrator but I knew that the college was famous for the standard of pure drawing its students achieved. The experience on my foundation course taught me that we all need to have a good solid knowledge of our chosen path before we can start to express ourselves with any confidence or personal style. No one would expect to write a novel without starting with the alphabet, rules of grammar, language etc, no one would think they could compose an symphony without knowledge of music or the instruments involved. Why should we expect to draw or paint any better than we did as children without learning the basics? Here is a quote from Tom Robb “The essential element of learning to draw is the ability to see, but seeing is not that easy. By developing observational skills the artist has the opportunity to develop intellectual awareness and knowledge not only of the visual world around them, but greater awareness of themselves, their skills, likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. Drawing, though for the most part being based on things seen, is an abstract learning activity involving sophisticated mechanical and intellectual skills” ‘The Artist’ magazine, October 2013 (Which I highly recommend, by the way)
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All children are born with an urge to make marks, to sing, dance and generally express themselves individually. If you ask any small child if they can draw or paint and they will say ‘yes’ and usually show you – so what happens? Why do we lose that confidence in our ability? It seems to be an inborn urge to make marks and draw what we see around us. Perhaps that helps us to connect to our environment and make sense of it..... Drawing as a form of communication and connection goes right back to our human roots. Our self awareness, creativity and inventiveness has made us the most powerful animal on earth. Little children begin by scribbling (on everything!) until they – miraculously! – form a circle. Apparently young chimps love to scribble as well, and some even manage to make a circle too, but they do not take the symbol any further. Human children put dots and lines inside that circle - and suddenly it represents a face, usually Mummy’s, or the face of their primary carer. That face is the most important feature of their world and when it appears they know that they are safe and will be cared for. They draw that circular image over and over again, beginning to add other people in their world, and adding stick legs because the faces move, and stick arms and fingers because the faces do things with them. One of my favourite drawings created by one of my children when they were tiny was a drawing of us all as a family; I was the only one with fingers though. In her world it seemed that I was the only one that did anything! Little children are sponges, and will happily copy other people’s images to complement their own, so they are shown how to draw a simple house, a tree, a bird. They copy each other’s images and symbols too, so they often look quite similar the world over. An exercise I give my students is to try and draw a simple landscape as they think they would have at the age of about five. The first thing we notice is how HAPPY it makes us feel! Then we see how similar they often are, and one thing that I love is that Maltese students will usually draw little houses with pointed roofs and chimneys.... there is no such thing in typical Maltese architecture! I wonder how children would draw if they were not shown anything at all? We had a Spanish au pair girl when I was very small and she used to draw little Princesses for me. They all looked the same and I loved them. I wonder if that sparked my fascination with drawing the human figure? I drew these at a live Flamenco event last summer - I had to be fast! Children’s drawings naturally develop to become more rounded and sophisticated, and to reflect what the child is most interested in; cars, boats, animals, etc. At some stage though, a dissatisfaction sets in as they try to draw more realistically and find that nobody can help them to do that. They might be able to draw one or two things reasonably well, but other subjects will just frustrate them. Some children find drawing and thinking creatively easier than others, but most find it really difficult and are easily put off by negative comments and accept the label of ‘unable to draw’. They fall back on childhood symbols such as stick men and cauliflower trees whenever they are asked to draw. The reason behind most people’s frustration with not being able to draw realistically is usually the same one; it is because they have been attempting to learn to draw in a logical way, and drawing is not a logical process. It is a creative one, and involves learning to ‘see’ the world in a completely different way before we can draw it. It is the way that an artist sees, and is not taught in classes unless the teacher is not only able to see that way, but also able to explain and demonstrate it. We have to be able to draw exactly what is in front of our eyes, without processing it in any logical way. Some children are able to naturally see this way already, but more of that next time... . Meanwhile, I am starting another series of drawing classes on Saturday afternoons in Manikata next Saturday, 18th January - click below to contact me ! I'm starting a four-week Drawing course on the 9th November - Saturday afternoon - from 2pm to 4.30pm in my studio in Manikata. I can GUARANTEE that I can help you to see the world differently, which makes it so much easier to draw anything you choose. Complete beginners and those that need to brush up their drawing skills are all welcome. The only materilas you will need are a cheap A4 sketchbook and a 2B pencil. 80 euro for the course, which will be very structured and so - well - don't miss any! woooo hooooo!! Really excited about this - I will be showing people how to reach that beautiful, timeless state of just Being by using simple drawing techniques to connect to themselves and Nature at her finest. This will be part of an 8-day yoga retreat organised by the most amazing and inspirational yoga teacher ever, Michelle Bartolo. In the beautiful French Alps we will bring a RUSH of fresh air into our lives!June 1 - 8 FRANCE *MichelleBartoloYoga & Jeni Caruana
* MichelleBartoloYoga presents a Yoga & Drawing Retreat in zee French Alps @ Chalet Le Badney Your investment & bookings: http://michellebartoloyoga.com/yoga-retreat/retreat-packages/ This structured course of six classes will cover all the basics that you need to know to either learn to draw or improve your skills. Easy steps for using tone, perspective, measuring and composition will give you the confidence to tackle any subject. Advice on how to mix colours and use basic watercolour techniques will set you on the road to making your own pictures. All in a friendly and creative atmosphere :-) Classes begin on Saturday the 16th March from 4.30 - 7pm.120 euro for 6 classes – booking can only be accepted upon payment, as places are limited. For more information please contact Jeni on the form below Or Sistina on 21335548 Wednesday classes are continuing at Sistina, and also Sunday morning creativity sessions in Manikata....... Classes at Sistina are starting again!! It will be lovely to be back at Sistina Art Shop, 118 The Strand Sliema again! Classes begin on Wednesday 13th February at 10am til 12.30pm We'll be doing drawing exercises and explorations into different ways of approaching picture-making, covering everything from tone to perspective to colour mixing..... we'll work mainly in watercolours, but mixed media and Other Stuff usually appear too! Places are limited, so please email me on jentambia@gmail.com for more info and a booking form Creativity Workshops in Manikata Classes will resume on February 17th in the usual format of an hour of focused drawing practice followed by creative exercises in different media. 120 e for 6 classes, 23 e for drop-in classes, 28 e including all materials. Please email me on jentambia@gmail.com for more info and a booking form "Love" by Anne Hoshi Furuya Japanese Calligraphy Workshop Saturday 23rd February 2013 10am (sharp) - 4pm Only 45 euro including all materials - and a vegetarian Japanese lunch! A fun day with Anne Hoshi Furuya, the talented daughter of a professional Japanese calligraphy teacher in Japan. Using authentic equipment, we will learn : - *how to write our own names in Japanese characters *make a lucky New Year card using traditional methods * a little origami Please wear suitable clothes (ink stains!) or bring an apron. The workshop will take place in Jeni Caruana's studio in Manikata. PLACES ARE LIMITED AND CAN ONLY BE RESERVED AGAINST PAYMENT IN FULL. Please email me on jentambia@gmail.com for more info and a booking form |
Jeni Caruana I love to paint - and draw - and help others to discover their creative side too..... Be the first to see my latest work and hear of new classes by adding your email address below. Thank you! Categories
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