...A Creative Explorer
Artist Statement
As a creative explorer dedicated to the technical mastery of classical realism, I look to funnel the “joie de vivre,” the joy of living, into my work. From classical to contemporary, no subject nor media is safe from my spontaneous interest and occasionally quirky and humorous point of view. My creative background includes graphic design and dance. This creates in my work an inherent love of line, rhythm, and clarity; action, expression and an enduring love for figure and portraiture. A storyteller, I paint with an economy of brushwork and attention to strong composition, symbolism, line and edgework. Color and imagination are my partners; face and figure are focal points; capturing the heartfelt, natural spirit of life is my motivation. My methods are those time-honored techniques of the craftsmen of a much slower era than today’s. When one of my works has reached a level of effortless effort, I know that it is complete and ready for its debut.
...My Creative Journey
"Every day is a winding road
I get a little bit closer" --Sheryl Crow
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I started this journey in art in 2001 after closing my dance studio. I had previously earned an MBA and then studied dance intensively to balance out a stressful business career with travel and long commutes. One day I saw my ballet teacher outside walking about in the middle of the 9-5 workday, seemingly carefree and enjoying the day. That left an imprint for envisioning my future. An economic downturn gave me severance and time-- I opened a dance studio.
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During these dance studio days in performing arts, I made posters, flyers, programs and became involved in graphic design. That was my first step in art, doing logos, illustrations, websites, graphics. I completed a graphic design degree at a community college in 2003. Part of the curriculum included a drawing class. That class reminded me how I used to love to draw. I ended up taking all the college drawing and painting classes offered there.
In the years that followed I attended two different Ateliers--both in the classical realist tradition: Colorado Academy of Art and Schissler Academy. Both Ateliers closed after my first year in each of them, one after another, the last one in the shut downs of 2020. In between Ateliers I kept taking classes where I could find them: independent artists, Denver Art Students League, local studios, Grand Central Atelier online. I studied for many years with local artist and college instructor Tyler Alpern; he taught me 2D design, and foundations of drawing and painting. I carry his love for narrative, figure, use of color, and the free flowing creative process.
A figure drawing workshop in the summer of 2022 at the Real Academy of Art in Denver introduced me to Juliette Aristides, artist, author, teacher. I had always admired her and her Atelier at Gage Academy in Seattle. She had recently taken her Aristides Atelier online with the development of an innovative online art platform developed by artist/designers in response to the shutdowns of 2020: Terracotta Art. Finally, in 2022 I enrolled in the 2nd Year Core Program at Aristides Atelier, online at Terracotta. Here was a world of astounding courses and critiques from world-class faculty and the enrichment of guest artist lectures and discussions. Each year's students were from all over the world. I stayed for the 3rd year program, and just finished the Studio Intensive, the 4th year for those who started in the 1st year Foundations program. It was exciting to be in the experiential firsts of this online Atelier in the development of a curriculum. The Studio Intensive year was a time to refine skills, develop a studio practice, and start a body of work. For emergent artists it was a career launching pad and for professional artists a step forward. The Aristides Atelier just received the Art Renewal Center® approved atelier designation, only earned by less than 80 Ateliers around the world. Juliette Aristides carries the Art Renewal Center's Living Masterâ„ designation.
1st Academy Year 1 Still Life
Dance Forms Studio
Aristides Year 3 Direct Oil Painting
In the Footsteps of the Old Masters
Red Chalk Mastercopy: After Bernini
Oil Mastercopy: After Gerome
What is Atelier Training?
In a classical atelier you typically start off learning how to draw from life using sight-size methods to measure; that is, basically, drawing what you see and exactly the size you see it. That was my beginning, anyway. The first drawings are usually cast drawings done in charcoal, and later on, cast painting in oil paint. That step is done without color using black, white and raw umber. The next progression is in copying Bargue drawings, in a very exact manner in graphite. "Bargues" are a 19th Century teaching method.
T he next step is still life, figure and portrait drawings to learn value, volume, form, lights and darks. It includes practice of ellipses, spheres, and value scales. Perspective and composition are also studied. With figure, there are courses in anatomy: drawing the skeleton and muscles. In portrait, there is study of the head and features. Likeness in portraiture is made by tiny millimeters of measurement. There is a study of surfaces, of paper and substrates, and the mixing of colors. Painting begins with a study of forms, "flesh balls" and such, and with eventual copies of the old master paintings, and in learning verdaccio or grisaille underpainting. Alla prima (direct) and indirect painting (layers) methods are learned. Along with those are a study of pigments, brushes, palettes, color mixing and learning to see color as value. Landscape painting, interiors, floral, trois crayon, metal point, pastel, pen and ink, and many other traditional media can be studied.
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This is a very slow process taking many years for progress towards mastership. I think it gives the skills necessary to draw and paint whatever you choose to do. With this training in hand, you have the freedom to express your work realistically or branch off into abstraction or whatever unique blend or genre, style, or media you choose.
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“Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do.”-Edgar Degas
