First PastelFull Sheet of Canson Paper
Mrs. Aguirre's class was interesting and fun. She was in her seventies at the time. My friend, Estella, and I signed up for the class. As I recall, the class was to be for 8 weeks, twice a week for a couple of hours each lesson. We both signed up to learn more about oil painting. Mrs. Aguirre told us for the first lesson to just bring a sketch pad for notes. Well, OK, but a strange way to start oil painting.
When we got there, we found we were to study art history. She had booklet of about 40 pages of photo copies of art history from an encyclopedia or school text book. She questioned us about what we knew about art history and famous artists. Which wasn't a lot for either of us. Perhaps Estella had taken art in high school in Texas but I had no art after elementary school. Our next class would continue in the same manner after we had read our homework.
"Wait!", Estella said, "The lessons are for 8 weeks not 8 years, we have to get started painting."
Mrs. Aguirre laughed and changed her lesson plan. We had a sketch class, a charcoal class, a couple of life form drawing classes (my first chance to sketch a person posing), the pastel class for a few sessions and then we painted with oils. I don't think I saved my oil paintings, maybe I didn't finish the class or something. I had another pastel of glass bottles, but don't remember if I saved that one, either.
When I was working on my pastel, Mrs. Aguirre walked by and said, "Check you ellipses on the copper pot." She did this a couple of times, finally she told me that I had the opening too large, that looking at it directly I would not see so much of the inside.
"That is what I see," I told her. She got a little upset and said again that I was wrong. Then it dawned on me.
"Mrs. Aguirre, you need to get on a stool or chair to see what I see," I laughed. She was under five feet tall and of course she was not seeing the pot as open as I saw it.
You know I paint fast and get bored easily. Our painting took 3 sessions, I think, and she changed the peppers and lima beans on us over the weekend. The new beans were smaller. Then she came to look and said my beans were too large. "Well," I joked with her, "I think you watered them over the weekend and they grew."
Estella is so much fun and we had a great time. Mrs. Aguirre was a wonderful person and was a great artist, too. She just expected us to be students for some lenght of time. She painted in the masters style, but did not use an under painting. It was direct on the canvas. We were encouraged to block in all the basic shapes and tones and work from there. On the copper pot for example we put in the light color for the highlights right away and kept the darker colors separate. I often work now by applying the highlight over the base color. We did learn a great deal and, as you see, have great memories of classes in La Paz, Bolivia.
When we got there, we found we were to study art history. She had booklet of about 40 pages of photo copies of art history from an encyclopedia or school text book. She questioned us about what we knew about art history and famous artists. Which wasn't a lot for either of us. Perhaps Estella had taken art in high school in Texas but I had no art after elementary school. Our next class would continue in the same manner after we had read our homework.
"Wait!", Estella said, "The lessons are for 8 weeks not 8 years, we have to get started painting."
Mrs. Aguirre laughed and changed her lesson plan. We had a sketch class, a charcoal class, a couple of life form drawing classes (my first chance to sketch a person posing), the pastel class for a few sessions and then we painted with oils. I don't think I saved my oil paintings, maybe I didn't finish the class or something. I had another pastel of glass bottles, but don't remember if I saved that one, either.
When I was working on my pastel, Mrs. Aguirre walked by and said, "Check you ellipses on the copper pot." She did this a couple of times, finally she told me that I had the opening too large, that looking at it directly I would not see so much of the inside.
"That is what I see," I told her. She got a little upset and said again that I was wrong. Then it dawned on me.
"Mrs. Aguirre, you need to get on a stool or chair to see what I see," I laughed. She was under five feet tall and of course she was not seeing the pot as open as I saw it.
You know I paint fast and get bored easily. Our painting took 3 sessions, I think, and she changed the peppers and lima beans on us over the weekend. The new beans were smaller. Then she came to look and said my beans were too large. "Well," I joked with her, "I think you watered them over the weekend and they grew."
Estella is so much fun and we had a great time. Mrs. Aguirre was a wonderful person and was a great artist, too. She just expected us to be students for some lenght of time. She painted in the masters style, but did not use an under painting. It was direct on the canvas. We were encouraged to block in all the basic shapes and tones and work from there. On the copper pot for example we put in the light color for the highlights right away and kept the darker colors separate. I often work now by applying the highlight over the base color. We did learn a great deal and, as you see, have great memories of classes in La Paz, Bolivia.
17 comments:
Fun story. I was going to comment that I don't remember you doing this at all. And, then I realized I wasn't living with you so why would I? Heh.
Ghost Town Post is really nice.
I am so impressed that this is you FIRST pastel..... you are a natural.
Joanna, tee hee, guess you wouldn't remember. Thanks for stopping in, hugs.
Donna, I had forgotten that post and that we lived in a ghost town! :) Thanks. (Anyone else can put Ghost Town in my search box at the top and read the post.)
Sheila, thank you so much. I think pastels just "fit" me somehow. I guess because they are fast and are drawing and painting all at the same time. Nice to see you!
I too get bored easily. When I took oil painting classes, I worked at smaller ones so I could finish. I remember a couple pictures too like 6 weeks. I hated those pictures by then. I didn't know you could roll up a pastel.
That teacher didn't sound too aware since she was seeing it at a different angle.
Jeanne, thanks. You probably shouldn't roll up pastels if you plan on framing them. Pastels are actually pretty tough. You would have to freshen it up a little as the pastels would be pushed down and not as brilliant.
I have a pastel I did when we first came back to Texas and in the move out here in 97 from Austin the glass broke. It has been hanging in our bedroom with no glass. Still looks OK, perhaps it has collected a little dust .. or maybe a lot of dust. :)
She was a great teacher, I think she was a little strict and speaking English and teaching was probably new to her. She had lived all over and studied so English was no problem except I don't think she had had English speaking students before or at least in a long time. We were a new type of student.. I think her students were high school or college students before and were younger and learning to paint. We didn't "need" to really be in class for a grade, etc., more for a hobby and something to do. Not as serious I guess is what I mean.
Your first pastel is pretty darn good. Last week I had a new lady who wanted to learn pastel. I don't think I did well in the teaching dept. But now I know where she is as a student; maybe I can do better this week. Maybe I need to do more pastels.
Jo: What a great story about the painting. The perspective and size were really interesting. I lot like life where we all look at things a little differently.
I love your story. Thanks for sharing! Your first pastel!! I agree with Sheila, you are a natural!
Bag Blog, thank you. Good luck with your student. I think it is good to know what she expects, too. Pastels can be addictive!
fishing guy, good observation. Thank you.
Rosemary, thanks. I usually talk more than I paint.
Sounds like you had a great time in that class, and it spurred a lot of art for you. Thanks for the painting and the story!
Dear Jo, thanks for sharing your memories with us. For a first attempt pastel I am most impressed and especially glad to hear you are a committed pastelist at heart. I work almost exclusively in pastel and it gives me great joy when results meet expectations. I treat my finished paintings very carefully until they are framed or flat filed. It seems that perhaps I should give them some rough treatment first
Joan, that class was a good inspiration. I started painting more regularly and set up a studio space. Your welcome for the story.
Roger, thank you so much. Pastels are my thing. I use other media just to make me think a little and confirm my love for pastels. I store my current pastels between foamcore panels, flat with glassine between them and clamped tight so they don't move. They are much more durable than we think.
Enjoyed catching up on your posts and seeing the different stages of your art and the various mediums you worked in. Art really is a process that can't be shortened, isn't it? You simply have to put the time in... no shortcuts available!
Teresa, you are so right. I think painting regularly is so important and that is where I fall down. Too many days of no painting. Like now, I haven't painted for about a month. Not good.
What a neat and awesome story!! Thanks for sharing it!
Valerie, thanks and you are most welcome. :)
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