From traditional art classes to distance learning!

While attending art school waaaaaaaay back in the last century, computers and online learning were a thing never imagined by myself. My classes were held in a large, light, and airy studio. The smell of turpentine permeated the room. Students stood or sat, intent on portraying the gestures of the model in front of them. Learning to draw and paint in the creative physical environment provided motivation and inspiration. Interaction and critiques with my fellow students and teacher were integral to my learning experience.

Well, time certainly has flowed quickly by since those halcyon days. For a number of years, I've been searching for a local drawing class that could help me achieve a fresh and more expedient way of executing my detailed colored pencil work. Finding a class that suited my specific needs and one that also meshed with my busy schedule was impossible. Then, an "aha moment." Why not try an online course? Bingo!

I'm currently enrolled in an online class titled "Building Color that Works," offered by colored pencil expert, Bet Borgenson. The purpose of this class is to learn color-layering techniques that afford the artist more speed in completion of a piece and yet retain a high level of quality. So far, I've completed lesson #1 and am working on lesson #2. I'm very pleased with the teacher's knowledgeable and constructive feedback.

Once I learn how to post pictures, I'll periodically throw a sample or two up here so you folks can see my progress. I'm excited that my very first experience with a distance learning class is proving to be as inspiring and motivating as being in that art studio so many years ago.

Comments

Scratch - OWAU discussion 10/28

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Geotagging

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Papa Kuʻi ʻai a me Pohaku

As part of our huakaʻi last month to Papahana Kuaola and the opportunity to work in the loʻi, I wanted to continue that thought by sharing my experience of making a papa kuʻi 'ai (poi-pounding board). In 2008 with the encouragement from me and my co-worker, Pili Wong, Earl Kawaʻa offered to teach a papa kuʻi ʻai papa to those of us that were interested in learning what our kūpuna did as a daily way of life. For our kūpuna they had loʻi in their yards and grew their own kalo, the major source of starch in their diet. They steamed it and pounded poi or kept it whole and sliced it and ate it like bread with butter or condensed milk. Kawaʻa was very specific on our kuleana and the commitment he required of us. Our first task was to find an au koʻi (handle) for our koʻi (adze tool). I found myself suddenly looking up at every tree I saw looking for the right branch for my koʻi. My husband found mine at a jobsite from a Haole Koa tree otherwise known as ...

Kamehameha Schools Distance Learning (KSDL) Owau

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