If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it, so do what you love!
Joan Dyer loves to paint. Until recently she didn’t even know she could. She’s always been creative, but never painted. Now, there’s no stopping her!
Painting every day helps you/me become better
My month-long daily painting project is nearing its end. The most important lesson I’ve learned is that if you’re serious about your art, you need to make the time and effort.
Painting a portrait with only one color
For today’s class, we had to bring in a picture of someone. Anyone. We had to paint a portrait of the picture using only one color — burnt umber. (more…)
Learning to paint the human figure is hard work, but I’m up for the challenge
The 2016 fall semester has begun. I’ve been waiting for this day!
My one class this semester is Intermediate Painting. The focus will be on the figure. I love painting or rather, trying to paint, people. (more…)
Learning to be an artist. Making progress and works in progress
On the way to class the other day, I passed a much younger fellow student on the opposite side of the street. He called out, “Hey Diane, how’s it going? On your way to painting class?” He mentioned seeing my fractured self-portrait on Facebook and how much he liked it and I said I also liked the work he’d been doing lately. (more…)
Diane Dahlke. An artist who finds inspiration in play
When she’s not at her easel, Diane Dahlke is encouraging and mentoring aspiring and developing artists. She teaches painting in MECA’s Continuing Studies Program. That’s where I first met Diane. I took her Practice of Painting class several times. Couldn’t get enough!
Because her lessons still roll around in my head and in the hand that holds my paintbrush, it is only fitting that I include her in my series of Profiles of Maine Artists. (more…)
Lucy Ellen Smith: Artist who teaches us how to draw to learn
Lucy Ellen Smith is not only an exceptional artist, she is an exceptional teacher.
I met her several years ago when she and her husband Carroll moved to Maine from Chicago to take care of her mother Fran. Thinking about that, I need to add that Lucy is simply an exceptional human being. She and Carroll left their home, jobs, family and friends to move in with Fran and care for her until her death seven years later.
They are now back in Chicago, where Lucy continues to create beautiful art and nurture other artists in her drawing and painting classes at the Center for Life and Learning. (more…)
Learning to understand the value of values in a painting
This picture was taken a year ago at my daughter’s wedding. It was supposed to be outside, only it rained. She was a beautiful bride. Don’t you love the boots!
I want you to squint your eyes when you look at the picture, What do you see? A blur of shapes? Keep squinting and you should notice that some of the shapes are dark and some are light. (more…)
You don’t have to be a little kid to have an awesome first day of school
New classroom, pencils, notebook, lunch box, outfit, shoes, things to learn. How I always loved the first day of school and here it is again, only I’m not a kid anymore. (more…)