Since January of 2009 I have had the good fortune to belong to a wonderful group of artists who meet every Friday to paint from the live model.
The props are simple: a chair for the model to sit in, a lamp to provide light and shadow, and tables and chairs for the artists to gather round the model. Our models receive a small fee for sitting and they are all ages and come from all walks of life. We paint for 3 twenty minute sessions with a 10 minute session at the end and with generous breaks in between. During the breaks we look at each other’s work and share what is happening in our lives. At the end we finish with a critique of the paintings/drawings in which we share our perceptions and insights about how to make our work more effective.
Although there is no official teacher, it is the best learning experience I have ever had. In the group are brand new artists and those who have had years of experience. There are no put downs…only encouragement and honest but kind suggestions. Although I have taken workshops from many awesome artists, the Portrait Group of the Citrus Art Center has been my best teacher. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to my fellow artists of the Portrait Group of Citrus County, Florida.