Feb 27, 2014
Vancouver Island School of Art Newsletter
Art that is more than ordinary

I am extremely attracted to the work of Maira Kalman. I was vaguely familiar with some of her New Yorker covers, but I really came to love Kalman's work through reading 13 Words by Lemony Snicket to my nephew (again, and again, so I got to really know the images the images well). We still spend an inordinate amount of time on the cake page. Here is a very amusing Lemony Snicket reading: 13 Words. How could you not like a book about words with the second word being 'despondent'?

I like Maira Kalman's work because its beautiful and confident painting of ordinary things. I like her as a person because she humble and down-to-earth as can be seen in her Ted Talk called The Illustrated Woman. The talk focuses on Kalman's work and her creative process while revealing the strong connection between the artist as an ordinary person and the work they make.

Kalman has illustrated many books including Food Rules (which is already out-of-print) and my latest personal favourite, the classic by William Strunk Jr. and E.B White, The Elements of Style (learning about grammar rules has never been so fun!). She has also illustrated a few books of her own such as the children's book What Pete Ate and a book that combines her drawings, paintings and photographs called The Principles of Uncertainty. This book started off as a blog on the Opinion pages of the New York Times. 

While the charm of Kalman's work is that the subject rests in ordinary everyday things and events, her work really goes beyond the ordinary. Take the image to above. A sitter with a triangular face that echos the triangles of the collar; the triangle in the space between the bent elbow and shoulder; and the triangle of the grey shadow under same elbow. Three vases (or could it be one with three components?) are falling (one looks as if it is hanging in mid-air) off the table. Two flowers almost as big as the sitter's face in one vase wrestle with sitter for viewer's attention. Enigmatic bird portrait on wall (perhaps a relative of the Australian native emu?). Visual logic of background space is let go of in favour of Matisse-like expressive brushwork. On table: one bright blue shadow, one green shadow and a pattern that resembles a game of 'pick up sticks'. Oval green ring on finger (looking like a fallen polka dot from collar) lines up on a diagonal with flower centre and emu's eye. This painting was used for a MAC make-up ad (the artist actually used make-up in the initial sketches for this work). The more you look any of Kalman's work, the less ordinary it becomes.

Almost all of Kalman's work is done with gouache so if you like this look, you might want to check out Kate Scoones Gouache and Pastel Workshop below.
 
(note: if you buy any books on amazon.ca from links in this newsletter VISA gets a small percentage of the sale)
Mixed Media: Gouache and Pastel
 
Are you curious about trying out a mixed media approach to drawing? This workshop will introduce you to the basics of combining gouache and pastels on tinted and black surfaces.

Gouache is an opaque watercolour paint with a velvety surface that makes a perfect companion to chalk pastels. You will work on three small projects that include representational and abstract subject matter. Suitable for complete beginners.

To get an idea of what gouache paint and  chalk pastels look like together check out the website of Rachel Sumpter

Cost: $125 (all materials included)
Instructor: Kate Scoones
 

 
Image right: Rachel Sumpter
Discover Your  Colour Palette
 
Have you ever wondered about how to put colours together? Would you like to learn to create a dynamic colour scheme that is both pleasing and personal? Whether it's how to choose paint for your home or update your wardrobe, colour choices are by their very nature, subjective. Learn to establish a gratifying colour palette by working with paper swatches and responding to personal decisions based on what are often instant and intuitive likes. 
 
Once you have developed your palette, the instructor will guide you through the addition of neutrals and complementary colours to create a personal colour scheme that is both dynamic and visually pleasing. Suitable for complete beginners.

Cost: $125 (includes all supplies)
Instructor: Xane St Phillip 
 
Urban Sketching
 
Would you like to intensify your day-to-day experience, whether at home or while traveling? A wonderful way to do this is to learn to draw the world around you. This workshop focuses on drawing everyday scenes including, architecture, and interiors of buildings, people, gardens and parks. Fundamental drawing techniques are explored, as well as demonstrations on what materials work best for on-site sketching. This is a great workshop if you would like to capture your environment with quick spontaneous sketches. Suitable for complete beginners.

Cost: $125 (all supplies included)
Instructor: Tracey Nelson 
 
Performance Art at Open Space: OFFICIALLY BILINGUAL
Friday Feb 28  & Saturday Mar 1 at 8pm
 
Artists: 
Rachel Echenberg, Sylvette Babin, Serina Zapf, Will Thomas

Echenberg and Thomas: 
Fri Feb 28, 8pm 
Babin and Zapf: 
Sat, Mar 1,  8pm 
 
Rachel Echenberg and Sylvette Babin, two of Quebec's acclaimed performance artists, join local artists Serina Zapf and Will Thomas for Officially Bilingual, a weekend of performance art-a particular visual art practice, distinct from theatre or dance. 
 
Event is free of charge.

Open Space is located at 510 Fort Street
Want to support a VISA student go to the UK?
 
One of our favourite students, Jessica Kuyper is going to the University of Gloucestershire to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts degree.

Jess has been saving money by working at two jobs and collecting bottles and pennies. She is a great student with tons of potential, so take a moment to read her Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign by clicking on the link below and consider donating any amount, no amount is too small or too large.

For any donation of $100 or more, you will receive one of Jess's paper cut drawings.

Please click on the Indiegogo Crowdfunding link for more info:

Would you like to be more involved with the VISA community?
 
We are looking for board members with one or more of the following skill-sets:
 
* ability to do outreach into the community (through personal or professional connections)
* experience or interest in event planning
* experience with media and promotion
* experience with fundraising and/or attracting potential funders
* ability to read financial reports (with the possibility of fulfilling the position of Treasurer in the future)

Next year is our 10th Anniversary and we have lots of fun events and activities planned so this would be a great time to join the Vancouver Island School of Art Board of Directors.

If you are interested please contact me and we can set-up an appointment to meet with myself and our President, Tricia Hodgins.
For more information about our courses or events contact
Linda or Laura at the office: 250-380-3500 or info@vancouverislandschoolart.com
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