Painting As a Pastime

Did you know that Winston Churchill was a painter?  These are his words:
"Many men have found great advantage in practicing a handicraft for pleasure.  Joinery, chemistry, book-binding, even brick-laying- if one were interested in them and skillful at them- would give a real relief to the over-tired brain.  But, best of all and easiest to procure are sketching and painting in all their forms.  I consider myself very lucky that late in life I have been able to develop this new taste and pastime.  Painting came to my rescue in a most trying time,...

"Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely.  Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end, or almost to the end of the day.

To have reached the age of forty without ever handling a brush or fiddling with a pencil, to have regarded with mature eye the painting of pictures of any kind as a mystery, to have stood agape before the chalk of the pavement artist, and then suddenly to find oneself plunged in the middle of a new and intense form of interest and action with paints and palettes and canvases, and not to be discouraged by the results, is an astonishing and enriching experience.  I hope it may be shared by others."

To view some of his work, look for his lovely, little book titled, Painting As a Pastime.

The Giant Green Frog

The Giant Green Frog

Hundreds of beautiful, slimy, green frogs live in the water reeds at Hume Lake.  They sing a song that is rich with low tones of nature.  They will sing as long as they are left alone.  This summer I paddled my kayak into their waters and sat quietly for long periods of time.  When I was very still for three or four minutes, one of the enormous soloists would begin his throaty rumble.  Soon, with precise rhythm, a few others would join him.  When my silence continued for another moment or two, the chorus would begin.  One dip of my paddle and the whole musical would cease.

This green frog had the most beautiful eyes I'd ever noticed on a creature.  The prominent eye-ball above the skin's surface was the first thing that caught my attention.  Frogs spend most of their lives in the water, watching.  I wondered how different my day would be if I were to spend most of my moments watching.  

The iris of the frog's eye was a dark brown with a ring of brilliant gold on the edges.  The colors were absolutely captivating!  When the frog would blink, an "eyelid" from the bottom of the eye would come from below and cover the entire eye.  I wanted to see this happen a few times, so I tried various things to make him "blink" but to no avail.  He only blinked when he wanted .

Holding a large frog is like holding jello, but nicer.  He stared at me, and I looked long and hard at every detail of his mouth, nostrils, and ear disks.  Three legs were tucked under his body, and one dangled casually as if he were quite at his leisure.  

Classes Offered

• Nature Notebook... this is a class fully dedicated to incorporating skills of journaling through painting the beautiful birds and plants that surround us in our everyday worlds. 
• A Morning at the American River Canyon... in this class we're going to identify the wildflowers along the canyon path, paint them, and help them to create a nature notebook specific to the American River flora and fauna. 
• 6 Week Watercolor Class... this is a class to introduce technique, however my main goal is for students to gain a competence choosing the medium 
• Pen and Ink
• Copy the Masterpieces... in this class we study in depth 3 masterpieces and produce our renditions of these works. This is an 8 week class.
• Entomologists Draw! ... this is a class for students who LOVE insects. We explore the world of insects through very specific visual study of their features, and make our own reproductions using pen and ink and watercolor. 

My Fees (keep in mind the duration of each class is 1 hour): 

• Private Lessons: $48/hr
• Groups of 4, each student: $12/hr
• Groups of 5 to 12, each student: $10/hr

Supplies:

Each class has a specific list that will be handed out at the first lesson.