Gage Art Academy’s “Art to Go” classes were offered as a way to connect with others and learn new painting techniques without leaving the comfort of our own homes. The classes have focused mostly on watercolor painting techniques and landscapes, how to blend colors and use different styles to accomplish a completed image. The most common used technique I learned during the different classes was ‘wet-on-wet,’ which means wetting your watercolor paper with water before applying the paint. This causes the paint to spread and fade slightly, giving the image the signature color variation and soft gradients that watercolors are known for. The opposite of this method is ‘drybrushing,’ where with a minimally damp brush, you apply just a tiny bit of paint to a dry area of the paper and let it pick up the rough texture. This works best on proper watercolor paper, since it has the toothy texture that you’re usually looking for. It’s common to use these two techniques in combination with each other to end up with a finished piece, and the contrasting shades and textures really makes the overall image look more interesting. I found the classes very educational and relaxing, especially in this distressing time.
Below is a warm up painting from her last class.
ENDLESS DEBATE: This morning, my email inbox had messages from Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones. I couldn't help but smile at the timing, as just yesterday the kids and I were talking about the loooooong Beatles vs. Stones beef. Those bands are now both 50+ years old, and Paul and Mick are still chirping at each other about which band was better.
In a recent interview, McCartney was asked that age-old, oft repeated question, which band was better, the Stones or the Beatles. He responded, “(The Rolling Stones) are rooted in the blues. When they are writing stuff, it has to do with the blues. We had a little more influences. ... There’s a lot of differences, and I love the Stones, but . . . the Beatles were better.”
A couple of days later, Mick Jagger weighed in, responding, "There’s obviously no competition. ... The Rolling Stones is a big concert band in other decades and other areas, when the Beatles never even did an arena tour . . . That’s the real big difference between these two bands. One band is unbelievably luckily still playing in stadiums, and then the other band doesn’t exist.”
Ouch. I like The Beatles better, but score on for the Stones.
Right now, would you believe the gathering-no-moss group has the number one song on iTunes? It's their just-released pandemic-inspired tune "Living in a Ghost Town." Not bad for a band where the average age of the members is 75.88.
The comments on the YouTube page for the video are comic gold, most at Keith Richards'expense. A couple of gems:
"If Keith Richards met the Coronavirus, the Coronavirus would need to self isolate." - Alan Antimatter
"The vaccine is within Keith's DNA." - Golden Cube
Speaking of pandemic music, one of our favorite bands, twentyone pilots, recently dropped this video.
I suppose in the not-too-distant future, someone(s) will be studying pandemic-era art. Lord knows there's a crap ton of it being produced, what with all the live-streamed concerts, free writing and painting and drawing classes and so on.
SPACE SONGS: This evening we tuned in to a live broadcast (via YouTube) Space Songs: Through the Distance. It was really pretty special.
A number of artists and space industry people shared songs and stories about space and isolation "to celebrate how extreme situations can bring out the very best in us all and why there’s no challenge we can’t face together," per the Smithsonian's description on their YouTube page.
This concert, recorded in segments all over the globe, was hosted by Tested’s Adam Savage. Musicians featured included Clipping, Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast, Dan Deacon, Ben Gibbard, Valerie June, Lukas Nelson, Grace Potter, and Vagabon.
If you missed the live show, you can watch a replay. ...
MPA is certainly making the most of a bad situation. Brava and bravo.
ReplyDelete