Art N' You - Highlights from various students -2022!

Lots of changes have happened during the Covid lockdown and restrictions that challenged my usual teaching venues at public schools. I wasn’t sure if I would be joining the exodus of Californians to another freer state or not. I still have my eye on Utah as it has beautiful mountains for skiing and hiking!

Homeschool groups and private tutoring groups opened up where doors were shut in the public schools. I also obtained a small kiln, that opened up the doors to teaching ceramic classes this past summer. So proud of the various outstanding work these students did in one week! All their smiles give me encouragement and joy to continue teaching art here in Ventura County.

Two new homeschool groups reached out to me: ACHEV and CASA. Both groups are geared towards Christians seeking an alternative to the values taught in the public school system. I offered basics in art to a high school group, as well as a few Art History classes so students would create pieces as well as understand what was occurring during the time of the artists masterpiece. I wonder what representations would take place here in California. . . perhaps, “The Scream”?!

Ceramics has always been a joy of mine. I remember getting a scholarship and award in high school. Working 3 dimensionally is challenging, but very rewarding. My students this past summer did incredible work learning concepts in only one week! I am very proud of them.

Still Creating Amidst shutdowns

It has been extremely emotionally and economically detrimental to close down businesses and schools for 9 months here in California. I personally am hibernating like a bear financially in order to conserve my resources. I am thankful that a few small tutor groups have been going on to provide joy in my life and a trickle of income, as unemployment is not the way I want to stay afloat. I love seeing the excitement from my young students as they express themselves artistically in my private art classes. Art helps provides them with a creative release from the stresses of this extended quarantine.

During this time I had the opportunity to take a workshop to grow in my own Intuitive Expressive art skills. It was fun to let loose try painting with joyful strokes, new techniques letting paint drip down on the canvas, stamp into the paint, paint with my fingers, or spray more water on the canvas to see fluidity and spontaneous changes in the paint process.

This exercise was done in a course of several days, allowing the paint to dry in between otherwise opposite colors of the color wheel turn to mud or grey. It was great to have no idea in mind on what I was painting and let it just flow from pure fun and enjoyment of the medium. At one point though I really thought my piece was hopeless, everything was in a state of chaos and too busy with all kinds of lines and colors everywhere. . . very much like the state of our country - as if it could not get any worse!!!

The instructor encouraged me to go on and that I would like it. Could it turn out into something beautiful? Internally I thought I can not make any sense out of all this. I would need to let it rest and speak to me. Well nothing really spoke to me so I decided to add something that speaks fun to me- a sea turtle. Somehow as I placed this familiar and enjoyable object into the piece covering an area that I clearly did not like, something changed. I added some blue and greens to outline the shape. This helped coax the turtle out of the busy background so I could recognize it better. Then my turtle needed another friend so I added a seahorse went into another area that was too distracting. . . pretty soon these happy memories of underwater diving made my heart sing being under the sea again!

Once in my happy place, I was able to add bits of color and details to bring more attention to these whimsical sea creatures. Applying a light wash to the background also helped in bringing the seahorse and sea turtle forward. My energy and mood changed and soon this was turning into a piece of art that I am quite excited with.

My other painting was done having hinderances broken and taping into that playful creative side!

If you are interested in trying this creative approach, contact me at Michelle@Art-N-You.com.

Learning Masterfully!

This summer these students took their art to the Next Level!  And they fell in love with their paintings!  They already knew how to draw, so they went on to tackle the beast of mixing colors.  We first began the course by creating a color wheel so they could see how colors were made.  Then, really observing their animal, they had to decide where to place the shades first.  By understanding your darkest darks on your object you can gauge the lights and mediums.  Once that is in place, the artist looks at the highlight areas: areas where the sun is hitting their object.  We first started with a still life so by using simple shapes we could understand darks do not have to be black!  After that exercise,  we moved on to animals of their choices.  Here are their results. . . they were pleasantly surprised even if they felt it might be too hard.  SECRET: To tackle the fur and the palm tree fronds we used a special brush so you don't have to paint every hair or leaf.

Listening to my students for ideas

I was quite surprised after my summer Fashion Design class when students told me how much they enjoyed learning to sew.  They wanted to have more sewing classes, so I took them up on that and this Fall I offered a sewing class that was FULL and had a WAITLIST!  Here are some of the projects we worked on.  I am looking forward to sharing my sewing skills with another group of girls soon!  

These girls had no prior sewing skills and learned how to operate their own machine, practice how to control the pressure, follow a line, and make a bobbin.  We redesigned a T-shirt and then we made emoji pillows.  We started some snakes from old socks but we will need another class to complete them, if they did not finish them on their own. 

If you are interested in a sewing class for your daughter call me at 805 443-1555 for the next available class.  Students must have their own sewing machines.

2017 VC Youth Art Show Winners

The Show goes on till May 19th!

Please take family and friends to see the art pieces at D.A. Davidson & Co., 60 So. California Street, Suite 301, Ventura.  This is a private business so hours are only Monday through Friday 10-4pm.

Wow, it was so wonderful to see so many of my students at this fabulous Reception/ Exhibit on March 23, who created such beautiful artwork! They all deserve a round of applause, not just those who won.  This sure had to be difficult to select the best for awards! Not all took a prize, so they should not be discouraged.  I will blog on what makes a good art piece later this month. It was such a joy to meet many of your families at the event.  And of course these happy faces are priceless!  Overall, it takes practice and work to succeed, at art and other areas in our life.

This year there were so much more younger participants and they also were quite happy to get gifts as a "Budding Artist!".  I was happy to see that those who were about ready to give up on a piece put in more time and it PAID OFF!

NEVER too old to learn Art

I wanted to highlight my 101 year-old student: Jeanne Clark.  She was such a joy to teach! She was joyful, open to new ideas, and had such a willing heart to try things. She looked forward to our weekly art lessons, as much as I did. She has helped me to see things that will last long in life: joy, counting your blessings, being close to family, having a happy heart, and doing things that you enjoy!  I also enjoyed hearing her sing "Blue Skies" whenever I asked her, "what color do you want the sky?"  I downloaded it on my song list for her art lessons!

Now that I go to several different senior homes, someone will say, "I am too old, I can't do that", I share pictures that Jeanne has created. Those 80 year-olds don't have her beat! If she can, you can too! We are never too old to learn art and have fun expressing our creativity inside!

"An artist brings joy into our lives by teaching our eyes to see. How deeply I recommend Michelle Honles as a person as an artist, and as a teacher. My mother at 101 years is taking art lessons from Michelle. How gently, patiently and sweetly she engages my mother in art . There are few things my mother can do any more. Her art lesson with Michelle is the highlight of each week and the best expenditure of money, for her well being that I can make. Beauty satisfies the soul."

Christie Johnson, (Jeanne Clark's daughter)