Watercolor Workshop: Painting Birds

After reading a wonderful article by Colette Copeland in Somerset Studio's May/June issue, I decided I would try teaching a version of her simple bird drawing and painting techniques to my students. First I cut up watercolor paper for them in easy to mange 4x6" pieces. Then I gathered all my bird photo reference materials. Before they came I drew a few of my own birds. I chose a warbler, an owl and a snowy plover. When they came I again drew some birds from scratch and allowed them to copy either my birds, the birds in photos or Copeland's artwork. Then I demonstrated how to apply a simple wash over the piece and add black ink as a finishing touch. They had a fun time and found that the exercise really helped them see the larger shapes in their paintings.

Look at how whimsical the birds are...the bird in one has found a worm!

Here another student works on a snowy plover and her baby.
Do you see the whooping cranes in the background the student has finsihed?

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After my students left, I got busy creating birds in my own style

Bird Painting, watercolor ... . $59	Owl Art, bird wildlife wat...  SOLD
Bird Painting, watercolor ... $59.00	Bird Art, wildlife waterco... . $149

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Crafts inspired by nature found on etsy:

Summer art classes for kids and adults ages 13 and up

Watercolor Classes in Westchester
by Miriam Schulman

Paperwhites Teal by Miriam Schulman ( in a private collection)

I have so much fun on Monday afternoons teaching my watercolor students. I make them tea and serve cookies---today was a bit gloomier so I decided the women needed chocolate. For my demonstration, I showed them the drawing I am working on as a commission and showed them how I planned on rescuing my watercolor painting I started last week at Pepsico Sculpture Gardens. I love watching their improvement each week as they mature into their own styles.

This summer, in addition to the watercolor classes which will be on Wednesdays, I am offering some mixed media classes that anyone can do. These special offerings are open for kids ages 13 and up and any adult participants. Each class will start with an art history discussion and students will be shown artworks from related artists. The first class will be Painting with Scissors and focuses on the late works of Matisse. It’s a perfect way to experience art for those worried about their painting and drawing skills. Use techniques like Matisse to make beautiful paper cut out collages. First we'll look at examples from Matisse and his well known collages and then we'll make our own construction paper masterpieces.

The next session we'll look at examples from Picasso's current Guitar exhibition at the MoMa  and then we'll make our own mixed media collages. 

On July 20th, I am going to teach exercises from Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain

Tap into the creative powers of the right side of the brain. Student will work on drawing exercises to expand their creative powers. 

The final class will replicate the course I took with my daughter in New York. Learn about the current German Expressionist exhibition at the MoMa and create block prints.These courses are all a great opportunity to experiment with art techniques being shown in the museums. you can visit the museum before or after the class (or not at all) and get a whole new appreciation for art history. Summer is always a great time to learn new skills and explore your creative side.

 

For all these classes No experience necessary. All materials provided for the non-watercolor courses. You may purchases them individually or get a discount for coming more than once. Classes always include music, refreshments and a glimpse into the artistic and professional life of an artist. Let your creativity soar this summer!

Schulman Art Classes

Single Watercolor Workshop $45.00 Watercolor Workshop ~ 5 class card $200.00 Watercolor Workshop 10 class card $360.00 Graphic Impulse ~ Block Printing $60.00 Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain $40.00 Picasso Guitar Heros $40.00 Painting with Scissors $40.00 Any Four in July $160.00

Parent Child Art Activities to do with Your Tween

It is amazing how many free (and almost free) art activities there are to do in New York City. Frequently, I attend tween tours with my tween aged daughter at the Museum of Modern Art. This is an absolutely free program. you don't even have to pay for admission! You do have to sign up for their email list and register for the program you want the same day that registration opens, but every program I have been to has been absolutely worth it for both myself and my daughter. (website: http://www.moma.org/learn/kids_families/index)

The tours almost always center on the special exhibitions that MoMa offers. The best part about having New York in your backyard is you could really go into the city every weekend and never catch up with all the great art exhibitions that are going on. Signing up for these programs really forces us to get to the highlights before they leave town. Usually the docent picks several artworks for the group to discuss. During a recent tour, the emphasis was on looking for inspiration and then creating our own hand carved block print. On the bottom of this post, I show you a block cut we looked at by Emile Nolde.

After a tour of several block print portraits we were asked to sketch our own and then taught how to transfer the image to a block for carving. The last time I had done a hand carved print I was my daughter's age! Back then (in the old days!) we used linoleum. Now, we use a different material which is much easier to carve then what I had remembered. The challenge is to create a reverse of what you want since the image prints a mirror image of what you carve. In addition, what you carve away becomes the white space and what you leave behind is the part that gets inked and leaves the impression.  I had great fun creating a portrait of my daughter which I listed on etsy.

Here is some background information about the German expressionist movement from the MoMa's website:
"From E. L. Kirchner to Max Beckmann, artists associated with German Expressionism in the early decades of the twentieth century took up printmaking with a collective dedication and fervor virtually unparalleled in the history of art. The woodcut, with its coarse gouges and jagged lines, is known as the preeminent Expressionist medium, but the Expressionists also revolutionized the mediums of etching and lithography to alternately vibrant and stark effect. "

Free Drop in Drawing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City

A few times this year I have visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art for their drop in drawing program. This is FREE with your museum admission and one of the best kept artist secrets in the city. The best part about it --besides being free-- is that they supply everything, and I mean everything for you. You are given a canvas stool, a drawing board, charcoal pencils, erasers and paper. While you are drawing docents circulate and replace your worn down pencils with fresh ones. When you are finished drawing you can help yourself to wipes for your hands and they have bags to carry away your masterpieces. For the beginners, or the intermediate art students there is even an instructor who provides a drawing instruction based which will focus on one technique. The first time I did it they were meeting in the Oceania exhibition which includes arts of Africa and New Guinea and the instructor took advantage of the three dimensional artworks to give instruction on positive and negative spaces. The next time I visited the same instructor was back, but this time she focused on "framing" the artwork and even passed out cardboard slide holders that students could use to crop images visually. Both times the quiet of the museum and the stress free environment led to creative inspirations. If you are interested in going to the Museum for the next program, whether because you live near the city or are planning a visit in the future, check out the information below.

Next scheduled event:

Metropolitan Museum of Art - drop in drawing

May 20, 2011
Jessica Houston (instructor)

Rooms with a View

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The Temple of Dendur in The Sackler Wing, 1st floor
Free with Museum admission

PS The museum also has a similar event for teens! There is a drop in drawing for teens on saturdays ( of course the teens are also welcome to the adult class above, and both times I went there were mature children with their parents.)

Here is information for your tween/teen

Metropolitan Museum of Art- Teen Saturday Sketching

Saturday Sketching (Ages 11–18)


Sit in front of original works of art in the Museum's galleries and sketch with an artist-instructor. You are encouraged to experiment with individual drawing styles and approaches. Drop in for all or any part of the session.

May 14, 2011

Ancient America

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Uris Center for Education, ground floor

Free with Museum admission

Fine Art Print Sets to decorate any room for sale now on etsy

Welcome to your New Home!
by Miriam Schulman

Prints sets for sale online from Miriam Schulman

I have been really busy putting together print sets for sale and looking for the most sophisticated rooms to display them in. Since I sold the Silverlight Tulips series at my art reception in Tarrytown last month, I decided to offer them as a fine art print set through etsy. Look below at the picture to see how great they look in this room view! The prints I offer are 8x10" high quality prints and I mat them for you to make framing a snap with a ready made 11x14" frame. If you want a larger print or different framing options, don't forget to check out my print store on imagekind. In my store you will be able to look at my art in many different inspiring rooms that showcase my modern art beautifully. Whether you need art for the finishing touch or a quick and easy way to freshen your room with color, buy my art online. And if you only want original art, I have plenty of that too.

 click HERE for modern contemporary art for sale online by Miriam Schulman