Monthly Artist Critique at Barefoot Spa

Posted on by Thor

Once a month, Parker Sketch hosts an informal, supportive and constructive discussion group about art at the Barefoot Spa (801 Virginia Dr, Orlando, Florida).  I try to got these sessions as often as I can, since I learn something every time I go.  This is a group of artists and art appreciators gathering to help each other grow as artists!  It is a limited space event. The work of about 12 artists is shared  and discussed. Once the capacity for participants is reached, you can be put on a standby list and you can participate without showing art.
The opportunity to show art is first-come-first served. Attendees do not have to show art to participate. You don’t have to be an artist to participate. If you are interested in art and want to meet other people who also enjoy art, you will feel right at home.

At the critique, artists share then newer art, art that is relevant to what they are doing now. If more than one piece is shared, it is usually part of a series.
All kinds of art is shown, there have been oil painters, paper makers, glass artists, found object sculptors, video artists, watercolor painters, ceramicists, artists who draw and collage, jewelry artists, print makers, etc. It also doesn’t matter how much experience you have. There have been artists who have never shown and artists who are nationally recognized competition winners. The point is to get people from many different styles, backgrounds, and experience levels together to talk about every one’s work. The discussions have included pricing, finding materials, technique, framing, exhibition opportunities, and, yes, traditional critique. Each artist’s work is shared  individually.

In May, Calvin Dunkle was showing several of his fantasy art themed paintings. His work seems inspired by the paintings of Frank Frazetta. Constructive comments about the compositions and colors seemed like they should help Calvin push the pieces to completion. I didn’t show work, but the conversations wrestle with issues I confront in my our sketches daily. I learn from other artists mistakes. Now that I am teaching digital painting to student at Elite Animation, I have started schooling myself. Everyday I execute a digital painting based on paintings of my favorite arts. This week my masters have been John Singer Sargent, Toulouse Lautrec, and Giambattista Tiepolo. After spending several hours studying the paintings, I go out to sketch on location and I hope that some of their mastery will seep back into my own work. Taking chances and growing is a long slow marathon. None of this work will ever be seen. But I learn from the best.

On Saturday November 14th,  from 3pm to 8pm,  Parker Sketch is having a holiday art sale party and open studio at 1029 Delnova Lane Orlando FL. There will be appetizers, drinks, and art. He only runs this
clearance sale once a year. After this sale, all pricing returns to his normal retail.
Art from 2015 20% Off
Art from 2014 40% Off
Art from 2013 60% Off
Art from 2012 and earlier 80% off
All prints are available for 50% off

This week my work was venomously attacked by an art troll on Facebook and I’ve come l realize that some local artists resent what I do when I report on the Orlando arts scene. Although my work is undervalued, often stolen by local businesses and arts organizations, and unappreciated by some, I will keep doing what I do, ignoring the haters and celebrating creative artists who change Orlando daily by supporting and encouraging each other. That is what the monthly artist critiques offer and I’m thankful that Parker takes on the task of pulling it all together. Mark your Calendar. The next artist critique will like be on December 3, 2015 at the Barefoot Spa starting at 6pm.

A Digital Artist in a Digital World?

Posted on by Thor

On October 22, I  went to Parker Sketch‘s monthly Artist Critique at the Barefoot Spa, 801 Virginia Dr, Orlando, Florida. This group of artists and art appreciators gathering to help each other grow as artists. You don’t have to be an artist, or show art to participate in the discussion, and meet the artists! It is a supportive and constructive discussion group about art. We look at the work of about 12 artists in the evening and talk about it. The opportunity to show art is first-come-first served. If you are interested in art and want to meet other people who also enjoy art, this is the event for you. The art can range from the purely abstract to representational. I always learn something new each time I go.

The reason I wanted to show art this night was to see what other artists felt about m using a tablet to start creating my sketches done on location. I’m excited a bow the possibilities in the digital medium but Terry says she cringes every time she sees a digital sketch on this site. I decided to show one of my sketchbooks and the sketch [ did on the tablet of the critique. sketching digitally is still difficult because [ waste so much time looking for tools and menus. Recently I’ve bee streamlining my work flow by learning how to use my tablets keys to select the most common tools. I asked everyone if it made sense to try and recreate my watercolor sketches in the digital medium. Most artists felt that the traditions sketch had more spontaneity and they could clearly see that a digital sketch has z different look. Parker suggested that I take an entire different approach to the digital work, accepting the difference. He even suggest using the tablets camera as the starting point and built the sketch over that. When I confided that the tablet seems too small, Bethany Taylor Meyers suggested I do a traditional sketch on paper, then shoot that with the camera and start painting digitally. I love that idea since I can us a bigger sketch pad and maintain the traditional feel of pencil on paper.

Other artists critiques also inspired me to push in new directions. One artist is trying to pull away from dark line work. Although I love line, the digital medium seems to favor blocking in colors as if building up an oil painting. I’m convinced that the digital work will inspire change in the traditional sketches and vise a versa. Someone suggested that I start using gouache on my traditional sketches and ironically the is something I’ve been considering for  some time.

There was so much amazing art shown that night, and having feedback from fellow artists is indispensable. Parker showed a large “Falling Man” painting. I’ve seen other paintings from the series and they are usually monochromatic. This falling man was fractured into vertical strips and had intense bright colors like cadmium yellow and bright pink. The image is a haunting reminder of 9-11 for me and the bright Peter Max inspired colors seemed a stark contrast. Parker did the painting live at Artlando with constant interruptions as people asked questions.  He said the colors were happy accidents because they just happened to be the colors he packed that day.

If you click the subscribe button over in the right column, I will keep you informed next time there is  an artist Critique.  The subscription is for a weekly AADW e-mail newsletter.