Education

The Warwick Atelier: Building a Solid Foundation for Painting and Drawing

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Published: 04 May 2011 04 May 2011

Showcasing 54 works of art at the Seligman Center in Sugarloaf, The Warwick Atelier celebrated the achievements of first and second year students at their Second Annual Exhibition. As I viewed this exhibit, I was impressed by the challenges my students overcame and progress they achieved in understanding the principles of painting.

I am always pleasantly surprised by the passion and discipline they each possess to develop their craft. Viewing the framed, completed works of art  in the gallery was validation for me and the students, who put in long hours of painting, some well beyond regular class time, to improve their skills.

To be successful as a teacher, its been my hope to make myself expendable to my students…to bring them to a place where they can think, feel and “intuit” their way to resolution.

I think of myself as a guide on the path of creativity. I started the Warwick Atelier in order to pass on a tradition that was passed on to me. I am grateful for the incredible teachers who helped me to build a solid foundation in the principles of painting and drawing. In the beginning of this process, the student is absorbed in learning technique; eventually, when they leave this learning environment, they tap into their own voice and style.

There is a certain level of freedom that comes from having techniques and principles of drawing at one’s fingertips. Students will be able to paint or draw any subject. This comes about by a shift in visual perception. When the student paints, their focus should be on the shapes of light, shapes of shadow, color and other concepts…. without naming the objects they are painting…when one can look at something as if they have never seen it before…then curious observation will lead them to truly see as an artist…. GOAL ACHIEVED… That is the underlying theme to the work that is done in The Warwick Atelier.