Workshop in Edmonton

March 29, 2013 Uncategorized Comments (1) 821

I have an upcoming workshop in Edmonton at the studio of illustrator Mike Sass. A rare opportunity to study with a both a classical painter and contemporary illustrator. Below is Mike’s excellent blog post about it:
http://sassart.blogspot.ca/2013/02/upcoming-portrait-painting-workshop.html

This May I will be hosting a portrait painting (oils) workshop at my studio in Edmonton.  This week-long course will be taught by my friend, Martinho Correia.
Martinho was the former painting instructor at the famous Angel Academy in Florence, Italy.  I personally consider this school the best place to learn the technical skills of classical realist methods and have taken many workshops on the processes they teach.


With a class limited to 10 students, we’ll have 2 models set up with 5 artists around each model.  Students will go through a thorough process to produced a painted portrait from life.  Martinho will be the main instructor, but I will also be available to help, and you will have access to my studio for the week to witness my oil painted illustrations and process up close.

Click for info from Martinho’s site.



We are excited to offer this course and I think it will be alot of fun.  I just want to underscore the opportunity this workshop provides, especially for Western Canadians who have limited exposure to this type of instruction and experience.  Both Martinho and I have traveled and studied extensively in artistic hotbeds at great time and financial expense.  To spend a week at my studio studying with us is a fantastic opportunity to absorb our knowledge with a small class size and in the inspiring setting of my working studio.  I would have killed to go to a workshop like this 10 years ago, but had to make many costly trips to build my knowledge of this craft.  For anyone interested in travelling to this workshop, I can help you with logistics like hotels, so just ask.




I have created a Facebook event for this workshop. Feel free to join this page for future info or to discuss and ask questions.


Contact my personal e-mail: msass@telusplanet.net for questions or to register.  Hope to see you in May!

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Studying Art in Florence

March 28, 2013 Uncategorized Comments Off on Studying Art in Florence 817

Museum Secrets from the History Channel visited the Angel Academy of Art  last summer and filmed part of my workshop there for an episode on studying art in Florence. The episode airs April 4th in Canada. The trailer is here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu50jhJ-17s&feature=youtu.be
Their blog is here: http://blog.museumsecrets.tv/2013/03/season-3-premiere/

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Scott McCloud and Understanding Comics in Lethbridge

March 25, 2013 Uncategorized Comments (1) 781

This past Thursday, Friday and Saturday I was in Alberta’s windy city, Lethbridge, taking a workshop with comic artist and theorist, Scott McCloud. His 2005 Tedtalk is one of the best:

 “Understanding Comics”  

As you can see from his talk, he is a fine orator. His teaching skills are equally excellent. The workshop was a combination of exercises and lectures.

During the first day lecture, Scott defined comics as a series of choices:
1. Choice of moment
2. Choice of frame
3. Choice of image
4. Choice of word
5. Choice of flow

There were two in-class exercises structured around how these choices could create clarity and/or intensity. Students were given various non-sensical situations that had to be translated into images. Mine, for example, involved an astronaut walking into a petting zoo, picking up a goat and throwing it at the moon. After the goat bounces off the moon enter Einstein on a camel who proceeds to shake the hand of the astronaut.
The larger project for that day was a 16 panel comic describing our life:

The morning of day two was spent looking at and critiquing the “Life” comics. 
Scott introduced us to the Grimace Project followed by a lecture on facial expressions and gestures. He then assigned us the task of translating various emotions and gestures into drawings. The last project of the day involved us picking a hawaiian word from a hat and translating that into a story. I chose Muumuu. I came up with an elaborate story involving Yoda, Zippy the Clown and Homer Simpson. Needless to say, I never finished.
Overall a fantastic workshop. Always nice to stretch the artistic muscles in a new direction. 
I will leave you with a snap of the Alberta prairies from my drive back to Calgary.

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Listening 1 – Dr. Dallas Willard

November 27, 2012 Uncategorized Comments Off on Listening 1 – Dr. Dallas Willard 628

Sometimes I paint in silence. Most of the time I look for podcasts to listen to. Most recently I have been listening to many podcasts off of The Veritas Forum. One speaker in particular is rather powerful in his knowledge and presentation: Dallas Willard. Nietzsche vs. Jesus Christ: Who holds the true path? is an interesting review of how the the West transitioned to a secular society. Highly recommended.

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Whats up…

November 26, 2012 Uncategorized Comments (1) 594

It’s been a busy 5 months: since leaving Calgary in June I ‘ve gone from  Portugal to Florence, spent 2 days on  boat sailing to Elba, took a one week workshop in Madrid, visited Dehli, Udaipur, Jaipur and the Taj Mahal in India where I was so  overwhelmed I spent the following weekend in Milan recovering. I have been working on a number of portrait commissions and experimenting with new approaches (to painting) and new subject matter (landscapes) all in a new format (small). Here is some of what I have been up to:

Ritratto di Stephana
Rachel (piambura study)
Pomodoro e Aglio
Moinho da Apulia

Ami

This is the study for the project I am finishing up:

Mary

I can’t let you see the final version until the client does!!

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Vancouver Demo

May 1, 2012 Uncategorized Comments (1) 573

On Friday May 4th at 2pm I will be giving a demo on the process I use to paint a portrait from a photo.
If you or anyone you know is in the Vancouer area, come by and say hi.
http://opusartsupplies.com/how/demos/painting-portrait-photograph

  

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Resurrection of a Painting – Part Three

January 15, 2012 Uncategorized Comments (3) 743

After deciding upon an image (see part two) and collecting reference I began the drawing for the final painting. I started with a harmonic armature within which I placed the figure and other elements. An armatures can help to create order amongst the various various elements and to the whole:

After transferring this to the canvas the wash drawing was begun:

The reference came from many different places. I took photos of my friend and student Juan Pablo:
Drew Struzen’s Star Wars posters have wonderful renderings of light effects. They really are a modern interpretation of halos.  Illustrator Mike Sass uses similar effects on his art for the Star Wars game Knights of the Old Republic:

For sky, drapery and flag I looked to Titian:
I found this image of a lake in Alberta and used it as a source for the rocks at front:

For the clouds, Cagnacci’s Assumption of Mary Magdalene:

The broken gates I borrowed from Casper David Friedrich:

The cross comes from San Filipo Neri church in Florence:

And the Hubble space telescope provided the cosmos:

Mix it all up and shake real hard:

Anastasis 
The final painting is now in the private collection of His Eminence Mauro Cardinal Piacenza in Vatican City.

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Little Known Treasures of Florence -Part One

November 6, 2011 Uncategorized Comments (1) 667

Santa Margherita dei Cerchi, Florence

Also known as Dante’s and Beatrice’s church, it contains this beautiful painting, The Wedding of Beatrice by Raffealo Sorbi:

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New Palette

November 3, 2011 Uncategorized Comments (3) 846

I have been experimenting with a new restricted palette that gives results I like:
Titanium White ( Michael Harding) – I also like Cremnitz White but supplies are non existent these days.
Permanent Lemon Yellow (Maimeri) – a nice light, bright yellow which, when mixed with red, gives a nice highlight for skin colour.
Roman Ochre  (Zecchi) – A rich ochre that when mixed with red gives a beautiful flesh colour.
Cadmium Red Light (Windsor and Newton)  – A bright, light red.
Burnt Umber  (Old Holland) – A low chroma orange.
Raw Umber (Michael harding)  – A low chroma yellow/green, the greyest of colours before black.
Ivory Black (Old Holland) – A rich, cool black.
Ultramarine Blue (Old Holland) – works well as the blue on this palette. 
The above portrait of Conor was completed with this new palette.

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Santa Trinita, Firenze

May 23, 2011 Uncategorized Comments Off on Santa Trinita, Firenze 607

I wanted to share the beautiful representation of the Trinity over the main entrance to Santa Trinita in Florence. The church itself was constructed between 1258 – 1280. The Trinity (1593-94) was sculpted by Giovanni Battista Caccini and Pietro Bernini, father of Gian Lorenzo.

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