I’m teaching two new figure sculpture classes starting April 14. One is sculpting with wax and polymer clay on armature. The other is Colorful Clay Busts. To get the party started in my Colorful Clay Busts course, we’re going to practice some fundamental clay sculpting techniques. For inspiration, I collected some figurative shapes that really work the fun in fundamental. Essentially these can be distilled down to beginner friendly forms, while still being interesting to repeat students. Enjoy this collection of “simple” figures. Kokeshi by Yamanaka SanpeiKokeshi by Yamanaka SanpeiKokeshi by Y ..read more

Break time in the drawing studio Here’s a study I drew of two models in a changing interior, as the models moved between poses. I drew with my vine charcoal taped to a 4′ dowel so I could stand back and still reach the paper. The stick was a physical luxury so I didn’t have to reach high and low to reach the expanses of my paper. I also appreciated that I could see the whole composition while I placed objects in space, so I didn’t get hyper focused on one part of the drawing. I didn’t worry about the specificity of each individual line. Instead, I drew in a way that allowed the drawing to coal ..read more

Fran O’Neill giving one of her beautiful talks about drawing a figure in interior with attention to space, composition, and marks, to a nervous crew of artists. Today, after skittering around with tasks, I was able to attend Fran’s Giant Figures Workshop, held in the spacious light-filled Drawing and Painting Studios at the Seattle Artist League. Years ago, when Lendy and I looked at this big Equinox warehouse space, we had NYSS style drawing intensives like this in mind, so it was a long awaited happy day to open up the rooms, set up stages, and fill the studios with enthusiastic artists and ..read more

Laia was a groundbreaking female artist in a male-dominated era. Born in Cyzicus (present-day Turkey) in the 1st century BCE, she earned her place in history with her exceptional portraits of women, a rarity at that time. Pliny the Elder praised her quick and high-quality work, noting she could crush her male peers in both quality and speed. With both quality and speed at her command, Laia earned more coin than any of the male painters. Her art focused on female subjects and self-exploration. Though none of her works survive, ancient texts like Pliny’s and Boccaccio’s elaborate at length abou ..read more

“apple green” oil on canvas, 18 x 24 inches If you’ve taken a class with us recently, you’ve probably exchanged emails with Connie Pierson, a 7-year League member, and our magical admin helper. Known affectionately as the “Brushstroke Queen”, we’re thrilled to display some of Pierson’s still lifes and interiors. “Internal Dialogue” is a selection of artworks that were mostly made during the pandemic, when the Seattle Artist League closed our little art studio in North Seattle, and moved to online classes. Many of my favorite paintings during that time were made by Connie Pierson. I’m proud to ..read more

Daphne Minkoff, “Facade of Accessibility No. 1″ oil and mixed media on canvas 30 x 40” Daphne Minkoff’s latest exhibition, “Facades,” at Harris Harvey Gallery, offers an immersive look into Seattle’s evolving urban landscape. Minkoff, a Seattle-based artist with a special appreciation for urban landscapes, documents our longing for security as it succumbs to inevitable change. Daphne Minkoff, “Facade of Permanence” oil and mixed media on canvas 48 x 60″ Minkoff’s paintings oscillate between hard shadows and low, dull, diffused light, mirroring Seattle’s characteristic lighting. This variance i ..read more

The Seattle Artist League is pleased to announce the extended exhibition “Vivid Shifts,” featuring the work of Alan Byars, a longstanding painting student at the League. After completing his painting “Cool Reflections” (below) which immersed him in meticulous hyper-realism through years of sporadic engagement, Alan decided to find the fun again, with a pivot towards a more carefree approach. This series is currently on display at the SAL Gallery. This solo exhibition showcases a blend of deliberate planning and controlled experimentation. Through his vibrant animal portraits, Byars introduces ..read more

Ever wondered about the big names in the tiny world of European miniature paintings? This post is a quick spotlight on three famous artists who painted little portraits of big important people. From the royal courts of Renaissance France with François Clouet to the elaborate details in Nicholas Hilliard’s works for Queen Elizabeth I, and then to the realistic portrayals by Samuel Cooper, these artists brought miniature painting to the big time. François Clouet (c. 1510 – 1572): He was active during the French Renaissance. His career spanned the middle to late 16th century. Clouet was the go ..read more

Siobhan Wilder, “Lock,” oil on panel, 9.5″ x 11.5″ Siobhan Wilder, a founding member of the Seattle Artist League in 2016, has been honing her painting skills in my classes since 2015. This quarter, she steps into the role of an accomplished artist, teaching drawing, painting, and critique with us. The League is dedicated to fostering the development of each artist’s unique voice. Wilder has found hers in the realm of small, enigmatic works on panel, using only the simplest palette of ivory black and titanium white. With these fundamental pigments, she skillfully uncovers the intricacies of he ..read more

Image Source: Chantal Jumel In South India, kolam is a daily ritual that beautifies home thresholds with its math inspired designs. During festivals like Pongal – a harvest festival that marks the end of the traditional farming season and the beginning of the harvest – kolam multiply in complexity and an explosion of color. In this post I talk about how to make a simple kolam, share some astonishing advanced designs, and talk about kolam’s history and context in the celebration of Pongal. Image Source: Chantal JumelMake a Kolam Materials Needed: Broom, to sweep your threshold clean A measurin ..read more