Spring has Sprung
My Spring/Summer Study Sessions
Painting Portraiture from Life
New York is filled to the brim with opportunities to expand on almost any interest or passion you have. As a painter, there are a handful of strong Ateliers to continue studying ones craft beyond a University setting.
One of great notoriety is the Art Students League; a fairly traditional Art Atelier with untraditional roots. ASL opened its doors in 1875 and has seen the likes of Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning, Roy Lichtenstein, Hans Hoffman, Georgia O’Keefe…. Rauschenberg, Twombly, Rothko, Ai Weiwei - the list goes on. Past and current greats have painted within its walls and walked within its halls. Many came through both as students and as teachers, passing the torch through to today.
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An excerpt right from the League’s website:
“The Art Students League was founded in 1875 by a group of artists– almost all of whom were students at the National Academy of Design in New York City and many of whom were women. The artists declared their intention to found a new school by pinning a notice on the bulletin board of the Academy inviting students and instructors to attend a meeting. This occurred when it was rumored that the National Academy, due to financial difficulties, would cancel all classes temporarily, forcing students to forgo drawing from life for a significant period of time. Also at that time, in the post-Civil War era, New York City was rapidly becoming the artistic capital of the nation. However, many young artists, influenced by modern European developments, felt that the Academy’s instruction was too conservative and unsympathetic to their new ideas about art.”
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Drawn to its history, I first enrolled at the League for several months in 2017 on a month to month basis. I studied with a wonderful teacher. My peers ranged from beginners to life long painters.. I learned so much just from sharing a classroom with them. I only slipped out of enrollment because my other line of work (professional makeup artistry) took priority, as living in Manhattan needs particularly robust funding.
Back then I painted 5 or 6 models, for example Donna and Fred…
So much has happened between then and now. I have a lot more painting experience under my belt… and, of course, all that has been going on globally.
In this consequential moment in history I asked myself, “What am I not taking advantage of while residing in this grand city?”.
What came to the forefront, immediately and without question, is that I wasn’t taking advantage of studying with the amazing, accomplished, dedicated career painters who live, work and teach here.
Choosing What to Study:
If you’ve spent any time following my artwork you’ve noticed that it’s perpetually pulled between the figurative and the abstract. With this in consideration, I made a phone call to the League to chat about what I was looking for and what teacher might best guide my hand.. eye.. heart.
I knew painting from live models outside of an Atelier setting would be nearly unfeasible. (We’re talking about someone sitting for four hours a day, 3 weeks at a time!) And, I really enjoyed it in 2017..
So, I made up my mind to study Painting From Life, Portraiture at ASL and continue painting abstract from home.
Choosing the Right Teacher:
Sharon Sprung’s class is usually fully booked with a waiting list. As fortune would have it when I called in there was a spot available. Without hesitation I enrolled and began classes in June.
A year or so before I’d listened to an episode of the Suggested Donation podcast where this celebrated artist was the guest. I was drawn not only to her journey as a painter, but the practicality with which she approaches her daily art practice. She shows up to her canvas unwaveringly and her ability to capture the spirit of her subject is unquestionable. I respect and admire her.
The first model I painted under Sharon’s guidance is Arielle.
Diving In Head First:
I’d say I had a skosh of beginner’s luck.
Objectively I can say it’s a strong piece.
But, subjectively, I didn’t know how it would go; I hadn’t painted from a live model in 5 years.. I was rusty. I had, in that time, independently studied color theory and dabbled in some anatomy. A lot of my past explorations seemed to have freely converged with this one.. and it helped that I kept a light heart while painting her.
What is Painting From Life?:
Painting from life, plainly put, is about painting what’s in front of you. On a deeper level it’s about training the eye to acutely observe and render what it sees. And deeper still, developing a style and allowing that to shine through as you translate.
You explore spatial relationships to determine depth and distance. Sharpen how to interpret color; how to mix color; how to see temperatures, values, shadows and highlights.
This approach to painting is about getting the hand to portray what the brain sees.
Allowing for a heavy dose of trial, error and creative decision making.
For me, it's an opportunity to get INTO the artwork… practice how to manipulate and not be timid with the medium and give oneself the freedom to make a mess of things.
There are many moving parts to consider, weigh and balance.
It’s priceless to study under a painting master and amongst peers for all these reasons.
Without Sharon’s tutelage acting as guard rails, “Arielle” would have turned out differently, I assure you.
Here are some process pics of the three week pose:
Growing Pains:
Painting from life is fun (when it doesn’t make you want to cry).
It’s like creating your own puzzle. Arranging then rearranging the pieces, and figuring out how to lock them all together with some cohesion and hopefully with a little elegance and style.
The 2nd painting I approached in Sharon’s class was a pretty adventurous one.
Large in proportion, scale and ambition… Every day seemed like a race around the canvas to push this artwork closer to the finish line.
Here are some process photos of my painting of model, Patrick:
This work was a struggle for me.
I stayed in my head most of my time at the easel. I was problem solving every square inch of this 48 x 24” piece.
What I’m experiencing in real time is the process and challenge of technical growth. When we move a step past the beginner’s phase into the intermediate, a desire to want to master our craft takes precedence over a natural inclination to paint or express oneself freely (which is usually my MO).
I tightened up. I had a headache after every session. I was exhausted.
After 13 days at the easel, I wouldn’t say that I “completed” this canvas… but I did learn so much from it.
Admittedly, not allowing the mind to get in the way of the heart is easier said than done.
But, eventually I hope to get back to that.
I will, in time. This is the work. This is my work.
Staying the Course:
As uneasy as growth can be, there is beauty in it. It’s very easy to stay in our personal comfort zone, but where’s the fun in that? It robs us of experiencing a really rich, adventurous life.
“A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
Which also reminds me that this is the exact challenge I sought. To study at the League with a fantastic teacher is a unique gift.
I know that I have to keep showing up - succeeding and failing - to actually make the internal leaps that I’m meant to make.
I’m learning the technical rules as best I can so I can better break them - because in honest art there are no rules.
This is the lifelong conversation, elevation and consideration that I give to one of my dearest companions, Art.
Thanks you, as always, for supporting me along the adventure.
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