Q: You took classes at The Art League School in Alexandria, VA in the late eighties studying intensely with Lisa Semerad and Diane Tesler. How have these experiences impacted on the way you currently produce your artworks? By the way, I sometimes wonder if a certain kind of formal training in artistic disciplines could even stifle a young artist’s creativity. What do you think?
Barbara’s studio
A: From studying with Lisa and Diane I gained an excellent technical foundation and developed my ability to draw and depict just about anything in soft pastel. They were both extremely effective teachers and I worked hard in their classes. I probably got my work ethic from them. Without Diane and Lisa I doubt I would have gained the necessary skills nor the confidence to move to New York to pursue my art career.
Needless to say, I believe developing excellent technical skills is paramount. Artists can, and should, go ahead and break the rules later, but they won’t be able to make strong work, expressing what they want, without a firm foundation. Once you have the skills, you can focus on the things that really make your work come alive and speak to an appreciative audience.
Comments are welcome!
Posted on October 25, 2014, in 2014, An Artist's Life, Art in general, Art Works in Progress, Black Paintings, Creative Process, New York, NY, Painting in General, Pastel Painting, Photography, Studio, Working methods and tagged ability, able, ahead, Alexandria_VA, alive, anything, appreciative, artist, artistic, artworks, audience, believe, break, career, certain, classes, confidence, creativity, currently, depict, developed, developing, Diane Tesler, disciplines, doubt, draw, effective, either, ethic, excellent, experience, expressing, extremely, firm, focus, formal, foundation, gained, impacted, intensely, kind, later, LIsa Semerad, make, move, necessary, needless, New York, paramount, probably, produce, pursue, rules, skills, soft pastel, sometimes, speak, stifle, strong, Studio, studying, teachers, technical, The Art League School, things, think, training, want, without, wonder, work, young. Bookmark the permalink. Comments Off on Q: You took classes at The Art League School in Alexandria, VA in the late eighties studying intensely with Lisa Semerad and Diane Tesler. How have these experiences impacted on the way you currently produce your artworks? By the way, I sometimes wonder if a certain kind of formal training in artistic disciplines could even stifle a young artist’s creativity. What do you think?.
barbararachkoscoloreddust.com 