An Artist's Study: A (Revised) Online Workshop (Videos!)

 
An Artist's Study Sample Pages from Kelly Kilmer on Vimeo.

Some of you have been waiting years for this workshop! "When will you teach painting again?" or, "How do you paint and collage like you do?" It is over two years in the making... and here it is, An Artist's Study (Revised.) 

I have long said that I want to keep my in person workshops separate from my online workshops. I have been going back and forth since early 2015 about what I wanted to teach in my next online workshop. I wanted something different, fresh, something that I was (and am) passionate about and that reflected my own style. 

I have been obsessed with working in my Artist's Study journals lately. I made my first one in 2015 studying the work of Frida Kahlo. My next one (Georgia O'Keeffe was started in 2016. It originally looked like this but it didn't feel right to me. I also had an idea that I wanted to work on it while I was in New Mexico visiting the region she lived in and loved so much. I am now almost finished with it. Who knows? I may even make another one in the future.) I started one on Vincent Van Gogh earlier in the year and now I have artists like Richard Diebenkorn, Barron Storey, Corita Kent, Yayoi Kusama, Dave McKean, and Henri Matisse calling me (for starters.)

After revising my O'Keeffe journal a few months ago, I started to look at the class materials in a different way. My mind was bubbling over with ideas that I just can't stop thinking about and I'm eager to share them all with you. I've revised (and improved) this workshop so even if you've taken it before, you haven't taken this class in the form that it is now.

What's so special about this class?  

It's FULL of my latest, all NEW collage, paint and mixed media ideas! You will learn multiple aspects of collage, art journaling, mixed media, composition, design and a whole lot more. 

This is the class for you if:

You've taken this class in person but are eager for more (Please note that this is a different class than what you've taken in person. I've tweaked it quite a bit. It's more in depth.)

You love working with paint and paper (in all forms.)

You like my journal pages and you're curious as to how I create them.

You are brand new to art making and don't know how or where to start.

You have been an artist for many years and are eager for a creative kick in the pants.

You're an art class junkie. You won't just be adding this one to the pile, it will get you excited about art making and you'll dive right in.


As always, you are welcome to follow my lead, but I will also give you lots of "springboard" ideas designed to help jump start your "What if?" creative mode. One of my goals has always been to get people thinking creatively. I will share my art experiences, ideas and knowledge over the course of this workshop. 

I want you to make from-the-heart journal pages that are truly unique to you.

 

What's the class description?

An Artist's Study

As artists and individuals, we're always learning. We seek guidance from our favorite artists. They inspire and spark ideas in us. How can we borrow from them to create entirely new and unique pieces? 

In this class, you will learn how to glean inspiration from your favorite artists and create fresh, new, vibrant journal pages that combines their work with yours. I took the work of one of my favorite artists both collage, color, image, location and idea wise and melded it with my own work. 

I ask that students please have on hand a book or color copies of the work of one of their favorite artists (the images do not have to be of people, it can be an abstract artist, a photographer, a sculpture artist, a kid's art, your art as a kid, your old art) whatever kind of art calls to you but you have to be able and willing to cut it up. I will show you how to look at their work with new eyes. You will learn how to look at their work with new eyes and how to incorporate what they have done into your own work, making new, original work in your own distinct style. Not only did I collage with bits of my favorite artist's work but I also borrowed color palettes, mark making, layouts, thoughts, location (this is fascinating to me how the location of an artist can influence and inspire their work) and many other ideas. I wanted to make completely new and original pieces that looked like my own work as I learned from my artist of choice. You will learn how to do the same in this unique workshop.  

 Although the focus will be on mixed media, painting, collage, art journaling, etc..., these ideas and techniques can be used for ANY art form. My classes may be called art journaling classes but this does not mean that I am teaching only one subject. Ultimately, my classes exist to encourage your creativity. I want you to take these ideas and make them your own, and I will help you do that.  
 

These are ideas that you will return to repeatedly in your work and that can be used in a wide variety of art forms.

Can I use any artist?

Absolutely! You can choose an abstract or impressionist painter to a sculptor to a favorite mixed media artist to a comic book artist to even your own older work or your child's work. The possibilities are endless. Some of the artists whose work I have studied includes Georgia O'Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, and Vincent Van Gogh. I am eager to study Richard Diebenkorn next but also have a few others calling my name. For me, each new artist whose work I study offers a different perspective that will shape, inform and guide my own work. 

Are there videos?  

YES. I will not be filming the videos in advance! I will be filming them week by week, working alongside you to keep the material and ideas fresh. I want to offer you my latest and most up to date material.

Are there photos?

Yes, there will be photos of my sample pages that you can download and save via an easy to access link. You will also have the opportunity to upload and share (if you wish) your own sample pages via our Facebook group (please see below for more detailed information.)

Where will the material be stored? 

Unlike with my prior online workshops, I am not using yahoogroups this time. I will be using Youtube or Vimeo for the video material, Dropbox for the detailed PDF files as well as my sample pages and Facebook for our group discussions and to share photos, answer questions, etc... 

I don't have Facebook?  

You can still take the workshop and email me directly with your questions, share photos with me, etc...

You are free to email me at ANY time with questions, etc... I will respond to each and every email sent. I will also offer feedback.  

Is there a handout? 

YES! I am a firm believer in handouts. Once the workshop goes live, you will receive a link to an extensive handout (for you to download, save and print out) that contains ALL NEW painting, collage, journaling, and mixed media ideas. There are instructions, tons of information, photos and more. 

What's the supply list?

I really want you to use stuff that you already have on hand (There is a more detailed list below for those of you who are curious as to what I use. Please do not go out and buy anything special for this workshop.)


For the pages, you need:

•  acrylics (whatever your favorites are)
• glue (a glue stick, gel medium, whatever adhesive you usually use for paper)
• pens and markers (again, use what you have on hand.) 
• scissors
• an old rag or paper towel for burnishing the images
• a gluing surface (like an old catalog)
• collage ephemera: A favorite book or color copies from a favorite artist's work, photos, print outs, handmade paper, decorative paper, old magazines, catalogs or books for the collage part of the class (basically you are looking for anything that YOU would use to create a collage.) 
• Everything else (ruler (for tearing paper), stencils, decorative tape, rubber stamps, rub-ons, etc...) is completely optional! 

All you really need is a journal, paint, paper, pens, scissors and glue! 

  

 

I work full time. Can I take this class at any time?
  
Yes! This is a work at your own pace class. You can sign up at any point. You will have full access to the class. I am always available to answer and respond to questions.

When does the class start?

Within 24 hours of you signing up, you will receive an email from me with information on how to access the class material.The class will go live on or before December 31st and go through January. There will be at least four weeks of videos with a new link posting once a week.

Please note there are no refunds once you receive the course materials.

Please also respect the amount of time, effort and work it took me to create this material. You can download, save and print out this material (or read it on your ipad, kindle, etc.) for personal use. I'm a one woman (very small) business and I work very hard at what I do. I strive to offer the best material possible. I'm always excited about what I teach and I hope that you get the most out of my classes. This helps to support my work and makes me able to offer more classes and come up new ideas!

If you teach children, feel free to work on the exercises with them! I don't mind people who teach kids using these ideas in classes! Get 'em started and hooked on art while they're young is my motto (thanks Rory Root!)

Can I give the class as a gift?

Sure! If you email me or include a note with your payment, I can send this as a gift. 
 
Who is this class geared for?

Everyone! I strive to make my classes accessible for beginners to advanced students. I have been working in and teaching this medium for 20 years now and I learn something new with every workshop.

When is the best time to take this workshop?

  
When I came up with the idea for this class, I wanted to make it accessible for folks to work in their journal ANYWHERE at ANYTIME. For some pages, I would paint the pages in advance and then I worked in this journal as I taught and traveled. The size, weight and portability, along with the limited amount of supplies you need make this the perfect journal for life on the go or close to home. It's small enough that you can put it in your purse with a glue stick and a pen. I love sticking my collage ephemera, a couple of pens and a glue stick in a baggie with the journal. I'm all about portability and ease!

This class does not close! You can sign-up and take the workshop ANY time and work at your own pace! Once you've signed up for An Artist's Study, you are in the workshop!

 
Extensive Supply list: 

(My list of favorite supplies with links can be found here.)

Bookbinding (optional, if you want to make the journal)
-Hardcover book that you want to repurpose to create your journal from (Other things that can be used: file folder, old priority mail envelope, anything that you find sturdy enough to create your journal from)
-Cardstock (I use 100-140 lb weight index paper either from the companies Accent Opaque or Neenah. If you don't have access to these papers, a good weight paper that you use with acrylics and adhesive will work fine.) I usually make my journals with about five to eight sheets per signature. This journal will be made with one signature.
-Wide eyed tapestry needle (any fabric store will have them for less than $2.)
-Awl (I usually use a clay tool for poking my holes. They cost about $3 at the art stores and can be found either in the clay section or paper piercing section.)
-Waxed Linen Thread (available online at The Caning Shop or from most bead/craft stores.) 
-scissors, metal ruler, bone folder, pencil or pen for making dots
-Adhesive of choice (I usually use regular gloss gel medium, PVA or even Aleene's tacky glue for binding books) and a brush or old credit card to apply it with
-Dry rag or paper towel
-something to glue on (magazine or catalog, something I can toss in the recycle bin later on)

Supplies for the Pages:
- Your journal (either one you've made (See above) or a favorite journal that you enjoy working in. Some folks even prefer to work on separate pages. I like working in book form, dating the pages and having a record of my work as it evolves and changes over the years)
-Collage ephemera (read here and here)
-Either an old book of your favorite artist's work or color copies of your favorite paintings/drawings, etc... Resource and reference material to use on your pages as collage fodder (I usually find these at used bookstores, library sales, ebay or amazon used searches. I look for inexpensive books that are photo heavy that I can tear up and use in my artwork. Most of the time, I pay less than $5 for these. The most I have paid was $20 or 25 but that was for a large, oversized book with lots of pages that I planned on using for collage.) 
-Basic Tools: Scissors, ruler (I use a metal ruler to rip the pages), glue stick (I use a Coccoina glue stick. You may like Scotch brand better or gel medium, etc... Find an adhesive that you like and stick with it. Har de har har har.), something to glue on (old magazine or catalog), dry rag or paper towel
-Acrylics (Basic set of primary colors (red, yellow, blue), white, off white, brown and black. Optional: Neon pink (Hey, I wouldn't be keeping it real if I didn't include one of my favorite colors.) My favorite acrylics lately have been Blick Matte Acrylics (info here) and Holbein. I will be using whatever I have on hand during the video demos. I would encourage you to do the same. Please do not go out and purchase a ton of acrylics (or anything else, for that matter,) for this workshop.
-Favorite paint brushes in various sizes (my favorite are Princeton Select. Use what you have and love already.)
-Favorite Pens, Markers and Writing/Mark Making Tools: My current favorites are my .35 Rapidosketch, Water based Posca and Sharpie paint markers, a water brush pen and a Stabilo All Colored Marking Pencils (black is my favorite but I have them in all of the colors.) Don't have any of these? Use what you do have on hand already. 
-A Water Container to clean your paint brushes
-Old rags or paper towels to clean your paint brushes
-A Palette (I have used everything from heavy paper to waxed paper to actual palettes bought in art stores. Use what works for you and what's accessible.)
-Optional: Washi/paper tape, decorative tape, stickers and whatever fun things you find that you want to use on your pages.

PLEASE do NOT go out and buy a ton of things for this class. Use what you have on hand already and make it work. I have found over the years that my favorite pages are the ones that I limit what I have access to supply wise.


More Questions Answered Here:

Will I have access to the material for a limited time? Once you sign up for the class, the material is yours to download, save and keep. I have no plans to take the material down so once you are in the classroom, the material will remain accessible to you.

How is this workshop different? I strive to make each of my workshops unique and stand on their own. I work very hard to make each of my pages look different from others that I have created. Each exercise, each journal prompt, each WORKSHOP will be different than the ones before (and after) it. I've taught this workshop in person and now I'm teaching it online. This is something that I have not done before (and at the moment, I have no plans to do this with any of my other workshops.) That said, when developing the idea for my latest online offering, I could not get this idea out of my head. I wanted to expand on it and to be able to offer more than what I have done (and can do) with my in person workshops.

Do I have to do the pages exactly like yours? Not at all. I want you to do pages that you are comfortable with and that you love. While I will show you how I have created each one of my pages and what was going through my mind, I want you to take the ideas and do what YOU need to do with them. You can copy them exactly as they are or you can vary them as much as you want them to be. The neat thing about taking a class is that there are so many possibilities and each one leads you down a different path.

Will I be using paint in the class? YES. I will be sharing with you everything that I know about acrylics and mediums. I will not be filming the videos in advance but on a weekly basis so that I can keep everything up to date by sharing my latest juicy ideas and by answering your questions via video and hands on demoing as much as possible.

Will you provide feedback?  Yes! I enjoy looking at your artwork and love seeing how you create and process the ideas. I will leave comments and encouraging remarks on the facebook group. If you have questions, wants more feedback, etc... I am there for you!

When will I receive information regarding the class? Within 24 hours of signing up, I will send you an email on how to access the class. (Remember, that the material is not going live until on or before December 31st.) If you do not receive an email from me after 24 hours, please email me at EGorey99@sbcglobal.net after you've checked your spam box.

Do I have to use images of people?  No. You can use real photographs, photos from books/magazines, abstract imagery, animals, whatever you are drawn to. I will discuss finding images you are drawn towards. 

 

How do I sign up? Click the paypal button below or email me at EGorey99@sbcglobal.net more more info! 

 

This workshop is now RETIRED.

If you're interested in my NEW workshops, please visit this link.

As always, thanks for your interest and support.