#Always Learning; An Artist’s Meandering Through A Creative Life

My latest favourite class

Recently I took a 2 day zoom class with Michael Shemchuk (goes by Shem). What a delight! Shem is a wonderful abstract artist who developed his process through inventing paint textures for walls. View his work here: https://www.mshem.com/works

This is a change in style for me and I’ll have to see how to make the process unique to me. That’s always the risk with taking classes. It can turn out 10 ‘mini-Shems’ and most of us don’t want that. But there is a saying by Picasso: “good artists borrow, great artists steal.” This is not meaning we should copy other artist’s work as our own but rather try out the style, learn from art that you love and then ultimately integrate what you like into your style. The early masters were taught partly by trying to copy other established artist’s work.

“Pretend to be something you’re not until you are—fake it until you’re successful, until everybody sees you the way you want them.”
― austin kleon, Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

Here’s some pics of my art from the class.

Upcoming Classes

Pearl Ellis Gallery our small but mighty community art gallery, is now offering courses. I registered in the Intro To Chalk Pastels with Sandra Lamb. I use chalk pastels in my abstract work but I’m excited about learning some of the basic techniques. Glenn Gustafson is also doing a mini Papermaking introduction through the Pearl Ellis Gallery. I haven’t tried paper making for ages so I decided to enroll in that one too. All my learning from these small courses end up in my art in some way. And just like my art I only engage in classes that I think will be fun and fascinating.

Next Show

Just a quick note to say that Pearl Ellis Gallery is having it’s next Member’s Show, Awakenings. My diptych, Steeplechase Daydreams will be showing from March 4th to 29th with the opening reception is March 8th, 1-3pm. Hope to see you there!