Peter Cox Workshop

To go back, my first week in New York was attending a Masterclass taught by Peter Cox. This was very hard work for me, for several reasons - firstly, I am not a good pupil, hate group situations and classes, as generally feel quite self conscious . Much rather have a book to read. Part of this is that I miss a lot, having problems hearing . Art classes are particularly difficult, as often the teacher is painting and I therefore have a choice between watching their face or their hands/the painting. Difficult - and why I avoid them. Being unfamiliar with workshops in general also made me more awkward, never mind getting used to a new city and a new culture. The dodgy shoulder meant I ended up sitting on the floor, which naturally limited my choices regarding composition and probably irritated everyone else. Getting in from Sparkill by the half seven bus was a trial, and meant missing the first 15 minutes of the class.

To continue with my woes, the materials list sent out (contact me if you want a copy) was huge. At least twice what I normally use - and that was just the "essential paints". Most of my first couple of days was spent finding the right shops and trying to figure out what I needed - so much was in another language (fl oz? turpenoid? coffee can?). And then once the class begun, we only used six colours. Bah. Much of the discussion was around anatomy (the workshop was meant to be on painting clothing. Peter's point was that fabric hangs and moves according to the underlying bony landmarks. These need to made obvious in the painting if it is to appear solid). Not what I was expecting - so as you can see, I got sketching to fill the time. The second drawing was from before he made his point regarding fabric, bony landmarks, and folds.

The first sketch was of the lovely model's head (She was really great), along with notes as to how he recommends laying out the palette - as you probably cannot see, he recommends putting white in the middle, paints at the outside, and premixing strings from red umber, red umber and cadmium red, burnt umber and ultramarine, yellow ochre or raw sienna. These can then be mixed with the adjacent strings, so the yellow ochre with the red umber/cad mix and the b.umber/ultramarine with the red umber. Not something I have continued with, but I have continued using a larger pallete, and premixing a much bigger range of tones and colours - and ensuring the whole thing hangs together before painting.

So, in summary, I hated almost all of it, and ended up with another ugly painting. But something at some point clicked and I now feel I have the basics so I will be able to paint anything I choose. There is a whole world out there . . . . Peter and his model were lovely people (even got a gift of a coffee can from them!) and the other students helpful. Much thanks to the lady who explained that half and half was not semi-skimmed milk, and to Elsa, who as a fellow european could actually tell when I was joking.

Some Progress Part 2

This first painting is a little one (10x10cm) that I brought with me to New York, as I wanted something to compare my progress with it. The second painting, same size, same canvas, was my first completed painting here. I hope you all agree that progress has been made, although basing this on two paintings only is probably a bit daft, as of course things are never quite that straight. Not for me, anyway - I find I can do something that I really like, then forget how I did it, and go back to struggling for a while.

Anyway, to me the difference is the use of medium - a mix of stand oil, liquin, galkyd and turpenoid - which my workshop introduced me to. Until now I was using turpentine if painting at home for the first pass, but after that using straight paint. In Life Class it would be straight paint all the way, as it is not fair to inflict turps on other folks. But using the medium allows me to really think out the composition both in tone and colour right from the start and gives me plenty of opportunity to change things around. It also enables thinner layers and glazes, whcih really expands on the possibilities - great stuff!

Turpenoid doesn't seem very available in the UK, though, so I may have to experiment a bit to find an alternative - the manufacturer says it is citrus based, so maybe Zest-It would be the one to choose. Or turps, back in the house, as previously.

Vytlacil Campus Sculptures

There are a wealth of sculptures scattered in the grounds of Vytlacil Campus, so much so that you never quite know what you are going to stumble across next, or what is natural and what is created. The following are a few that are round the back of the house - the first is particularly friendly.

Others are a little more startling and have a very strong presence. The last one pictured blends with the life-drawing barn, shifting in mood with the light.

Remember we have an Open Studio event on the afternoon of the 24th of May, with bus leaving from the Manhattan campus on 57th St, so you can come and see them for yourself.

Dreaming New York

"You want fame? Well fame costs. And right here is were you start paying, in sweat."
If you are in your 30's and British you know the show. Re-watching the series has been an unexpected pleasure - not least for laying bare what is probably the root of my wish to go to NYC.
A very high propertion of movies/books/T.V. shows based in New York (especially the ones close to my heart) seem to be based on dreamers - from Travis to Gatsby, via Tootsie, Tony Manero, Joe Buck and Ratso and the real fake Miss Golightly. Let us not forget King Kong and, of course, the Kids from Fame. Even Michael Corleone was a dreamer in the beginning, and Matthew Scudder negotiated the journey from a drunken cop via almost-bum to being teetotal and happily married whereas Popeye Doyle got his man. The Ghostbusters dreamed of ridding the city of ghosts and the Warriors of getting home.
New York must be one of the most written about cities in English, and a fair amount of writers are dreamers themselves - and have, of course, made the journey from hicksville to the Big City. London has a few of these tales itself, but they have never lodged in my imagination in the same way - partly because to become a success in London for a Scot is type of failure and partly because I am a visual person and New York has become the symbol of city on screen (even if most of it is filmed in back lots!)
So 30 years later I am following in the footsteps of Bruno, Leroy and Doris by going to school in New York - even if only for 4 weeks. I hope the cost is worth the effort and not too much sweat is involved. Wish me luck!