Class Description
The Art of the Personal
Instructor: Stacy Milrany
Class Dates: September 17-27, 2024
How do you make your work more about your life?
In this mixed-media workshop we’ll explore ways for finding inspiration in your every day life, experiment with found-around-the-house art supplies and other techniques of adding more fun, surprise, and “you” to your work. We’ll start out messy by making a ton of source material based on our daily observations and note-taking… no restrictions, expectations or limits. Next we’ll add some mini story elements and then spread it all out and see what reveals itself. From all of that “chaos” I’ll walk you through my process that will lead us to three final pieces.
I love working in this joyful way and I hope you will join us!
Stacy
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Class Itinerary
Lessons are pre-recorded and will be available on the following schedule:
Lesson “0” – Immediately Upon Signup
Lesson 1 – Tuesday, Sept 17
Lesson 2 – Wednesday, Sept 18
Lesson 3 – Friday, Sept 20
Lesson 4 – Tuesday, Sept 24
Lesson 5 – Thursday, Sept 26
Lesson “0” – Daily Observations
Pre-Assignment: Daily Observations —Each day, write down or paint a (loose) page of your observations from the day before (or at the end of your day); anything that made an impression on you that day. It might help to consider the 5 senses — see/ hear/ taste/feel/ smell. We’ll be continuing to make these notes every day of the workshop and you’ll want at least one page prior to Lesson 1.
Week 1/Phase 1
Our goal for Lessons 1-3 is to create lots of source material inspired by your own lives. NOTE: Stacy recommends using relatively inexpensive materials in phase 1 so you feel the freedom to make a lot vs. an urge to conserve.
Lesson 1 – Practice Noticing
We’ll practice the art of observation using items from your living space and begin making notes on your daily life. Examining each item carefully, notice things like color palettes, shapes, typography, lines, etc. and use several pages to paint and draw what you see.
Lesson 2 – Make Your Mark
Using ideas started in Lesson 1, we’ll experiment with unconventional art supplies in an effort to create LOTS of interesting, unexpected, and original marks. Your daily observations will be subject matter of sketches made your own DIY “paint brushes.”
Lesson 3 – Tell Your Story
We’ll generate additional source material for your final pieces by painting imagery and words inspired by your daily observations on life.
Week 2/Phase 2
This is the phase where we transition from throwing paint around and making stacks of marks——to distillation and more considered in our choices.
Lesson 4 – Making Sense of the Mess
The transition from throwing paint around and making stacks of marks, to distillation and more considered choices starts now. We’ll start connecting ideas, make our three “rough drafts” then start cutting things up, and glueing things down.
Lesson 5 – Perfecting Your Imperfection
Using our rough drafts (or underpaintings) we’ll do more editing, i.e., decide what to keep and what to lose. We’ll make final touches considering things like composition, white space, visual interest, and continuing to draw, paint, or erase until we’re happy. Or at least happy enough!
