Art Class

Practicing impressionistic techniques

Last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we attended an art class given by Barry and Saundra Stebbing of How Great Thou Art Publications. This was our second time taking the class, and I have written before (here) about how influencial our 2003 class was. One of my sons is particularly interested in sketching and painting, and he was praising Barry's teaching methods on our way home from class on Monday. When I asked him what it was that he liked, he said, "Mr. Stebbing is a great speaker, he is very confident in what he says, and he does not flatter me. He is honest, and when he says he likes something, it makes me feel really good." I fully agree with him, and I am glad we were able to offer more support to all our children in their artistic endeavors. Later that week, I found my son in his room, emptying out his red tool chest. "Isn't this the perfect place to keep my art supplies, Mom?" When the tools of your trade are brushes, paints, pencils and sketch book, it is perfect!


Signs of creativity are everywhere

I also appreciate the friendship of the Stebbings. We have corresponded since we met in 2003, as we share a common love of art journaling. This is a real passion of Barry's, but it is hard to communicate to people how beneficial it can be. The fact that it stuck for me, and that I share the passion, has made us good friends.

I had allowed the lethargy of winter to interfere with journaling, but class rekindled the interest. I went back through the pages of my art journal, adding details to unfinished pages, and ended up being really pleased with the results. One page in particular was a tree that I really didn't like. For some reason I had had difficulty making the branches and trunk look at all realistic, and I was tempted to cover it over with a fresh piece of paper. Before I gave up, though, I added some lines for shading and bark, colored it in with several shades of green, brown and yellow, and VOILA. It looked like a lovely tree. I am so glad that I didn't give up.


Ready to journal

I told my children that I would pay for large art journals for them if a) they would commit to one page a week, and b) commit to finishing the entire book (no matter how long it takes.) Learning to finish things well is easier to do when young, and I am excited that all of my children took me up on the offer. This is something we really enjoy doing together at home and on the road, and the slower pace of summer is an especially fruitful time for our journals. I can't wait to see what they draw and write.

To keep things interesting, I am fiddling with watercolors and with speeding up my sketching style. Both are aided by some new books:


Watercolor: Simple, Fast, and Focused : Essential Concepts for Mastering the Medium, by Mel Stabin


Charles Reid's Watercolor Secrets, by Charles Reid


Fast Sketching Techniques, by David J. Rankin

I am enjoying all three volumes and recommend them highly.

I am grateful that the Stebbings can be mentors for our family. A mentor isn't something you can just google up on the internet, or search for in the yellow pages. I feel incredibly blessed to have spent time with Barry and Saundra two years ago, so that our friendship could grow. Now, after this visit, we have all become better acquainted, and the children were able to establish their own relationships with both Barry and Saundra. As we grow, struggle, and try and try again to hone our skills and interests, it is good to know that we have mentors that are willing to spur us on to excellence, especially ones that encourage all of us to deepen our relationship with the Creator of us all. What a gift.

If the idea of art journaling is a bit of a mystery, it might help to see an example of someone's journal. Barry has published, in "coffee table book" style, one of his favorite journals. The book is entitled Painting America, and (as you would guess) is a journal from his trip across the United States. He travelled with his wife and a friend, and each of the men painted three paintings in each of the lower forty-eight states. You can see samples of his art work, read journal entries that he wrote, and get an idea for what this journaling thing is all about. I couldn't find a link for the book on the website, but you can contact their office to order it: 1-800-982-DRAW.