John’s Neighborhood

Success!

Thanks everyone for attending the Open House on Saturday! For those interested, here some classes that are still available...

#1005A/B - Introduction To Head Drawing A and B

Instructor: Mario Hernandez
Saturday, 10am-1pm

This course is an excellent opportunity for students to learn the craft of head drawing. It will provide each student with the necessary understanding and experience to draw the human head with authority. Each session will consist of a lecture or demonstration that will guide students step-by-step through the process of drawing from a live model. The traditional elements of life drawing will be emphasized including the structure and planes of the head, the values of light and shadow, edges, portrait composition and drawing techniques. The course will also include exercises and assignments aimed to help students greatly hone their portrait drawing skills.

#1002A/B- Head and Figure Drawing with the Reilly Method A and B

Instructor: Israel Martinez
Wednesday, 10am-1pm

This is an introductory figure and head drawing class, concentrating on the methods of Frank Reilly. You may see a broader explanation of Frank Reilly’s methods here . Using 6 simple lines as the starting point for drawing the figure, Israel Martinez will instruct and demonstrate how to simply draw a figure that is solid and proportional, having weight and balance. Your drawing will improve drastically and will have economy of line. The class will warm-up by drawing 5-minute poses, followed by instructor demonstration, and then 20 minute poses that will teach you to block-in structure quickly.

#2380A/B - Alla Prima Head/Figure Painting A and B

Instructor: Ignat Ignatov
Friday, 10am-4pm

This course will consist of painting demonstrations and lectures covering the important elements of painting such as value, color and edges, as well as composition and design. This class will also cover the limited palette and the amazing advantages that it offers. Each week the artists will paint from life a different model using the Alla Prima (wet into wet technique) and will receive individual instruction and critiques. The goal is to advance your skills in the direct painting method while applying the fundamentals to achieve a solid understanding of painting the human form in various light conditions and settings.

#2367A/B - Figure Painting A and B

Instructor: Joseph Todorovitch
Wednesday, 12pm-6pm

We will paint the figure from life and discuss choices for setting up the pose, composition, color harmony, lighting, pacing, and bringing the painting to a decent level of resolve. We'll also discuss the language of describing paint in order to better understand our mixtures. Joseph will explain his approach and demonstrate by painting along and illustrating his ideas about the approach. Pose lengths will vary from single days to multiple days. Previous drawing experience is highly recommended.

#1122 - Sketching the Figure (Quick Pose/Head/Figure Construction)

Instructor: Sergio Sanchez
Tuesday, 7pm-10pm

The student will receive study in drawing the head and figure, using quick-sketch and longer pose study of the figure and head. This is a broad overview of the many aspects of drawing the figure.

To view our whole schedule of classes, go to www.laafa.org/sessions/calendar . Or feel free to call us at, 818.708.9232. The Winter Quarter starts January 11th!

Golden rings - The Twelve Days of Christmas

Deena Muzzi
2 days ago

Photo by Dee Muzzi - Golden rings

Merry Christmas – Ghost of Photoshop past – Flickr – [Image]
Made in Japan - Looking for something different for that Christmas gift - [Slideshow]
Bigger than Christmas – Sydney Morning Herald – [Article] -
10 Awesome Masterpieces of (Jack) Frost – Found on Unusual things – [Images]
How to make angels out of recycled Christmas Cards – [How-to]
Unusual and Creative Christmas Trees – [Images]
Old World Santa Claus, Vintage Victorian St Nick in digital art

it's the most wonderful time of the year

pebaline
2 days ago
1 comment

Somerset House

Have a lovely Christmas everyone! I'm off on my holiday for the next week+ so see you for the annual review of 2009 next week! <3

Geese A-Laying - The Twelve Days of Christmas

Deena Muzzi
6 days ago

Photo by Dee Muzzi - Mother Goose

Chasing Pigeons – Shahin Edalati – Stunning B/w found on Flickr – [Image]
Little Egrets from Bali – Bocavermelha-l.b. - Flickr – [Image]
Three Birds - by Pink Chaise - ArtBreak - [Image]
Black birds by Kitsmumma – Flickr – [Image]
Outsider Art – Birds, Animals & Other Creatures – Mosaic Artist – Nek Chand – Chandigarh, India – Scroll down – [Images]
Paper Crane - Artist : Roman Diaz - Origami - [Image]
Vacation for the birds - Time to Travel - Artwork by Grace Weston

I get a little warm in my heart when I think of winter

pebaline
7 days ago
4 comments

lights

1 comment

Last night was the first time I actually had any time or motivation to pop out to take some photos as promised a while back. Actually, the film in my Holga 35mm needed finishing, which you'll be glad to know I did AND I also took the digital SLR out for a little evening walk in the cold winter night of London hence these few photos.

street lights

1 comment

I really like cold crispy winter evenings in London. Mostly when I am indoors cuddled up nice and warm with a big cup of tea, so I consider last night some sort of sacrifice. :) Actually, it was well worth the little walk however cold it was. I caught some lovely moments last night.

blinds

I often plan to get the camera out at night time, but it never happens... funny that! :) There is something about the light and really the lack of it at night though. It's like taking another step further in the voyeuristic approach street photography has.

stairs

1 comment

This year I feel like I have come to myself really when it comes to photography. I've found myself, my point of view really and confidence I haven't had before. There are moments I see and I'm able to capture them. I think that is one of the hardest things to do successfully as a photographer, but I hope other people "get me" a bit easily now. :)

two stories

I often talked about the ease of taking street photos earlier this year, there really is something that seems to have clicked for me along these past 12 months. There has been a long break between last night and when I last purposefully went out to the streets of London with a camera in hand - yet it felt like it was only yesterday. It's a lovely feeling and I really wish I'd have more time and energy to do more street photography than I've had time especially the end of this year.

skating

1 comment

After work I was out at Liverpool Street meeting a friend with a coffee earlier in the evening and was a bit early, so I managed to grab some of the photos above whilst waiting. It really was cold, but so gorgeously wintery.

gents

Not having had enough of the skaters at Bishopsgate I came home via Somerset House, which is my favourite place this time of the year. The skating aside the whole setting is so gorgeous, yet all I have to show you is this very romantic photo by the toilets! :D

elefantten

Oh look - more winter romance! :D Actually this is my favourite photo from last night and I'm very pleased with it. I saw the family, knew where I wanted to be, walked there, turned around and took this photo. Bingo. ;)

intermission

The Old Vic has some gorgeous lights going on as well. No Christmas trees this year though, which I'm surprised about. They usually have them on top of the title roof and they look so pretty. The credit crunch has robbed us of a lot of beauty I tell you!

mattress

Another nice moment which is very London. People just leave the most amazing stuff on the streets sometimes to be discarded. That looks like a good mattress that, or is that the credit crunch me talking...

back seat emergency

Also, I caught this for the little back seat series. I should work a little bit more on these photos actually. The series has a lovely feel to it, but who knows when I next will be around with a camera in hand. There are the black&white Holga photos to be picked up and scanned (I forgot today after work, oh the shame!), so you're not going without some more stuff before the end of the year. But I do feel a bit bad that I've not been a good blogger these past few months... I feel like a New Year's resolution coming on... Oh dear! Better end here before I say something I'll regret! :D

Tiny (Tiny) Dancer

Deena Muzzi
7 days ago

Photo by Dee Muzzi - Tiny (Tiny) Dancer - Click to enlarge...twice!

Jason Barnhart Miniature Project – Found at LouDreams – [Images]
The Street Art of Slinkachu - Little People (1) – I love this!
And Little People (2) – very creative – [Images]
Little People, Big Ben – Very cool – [Image]
Little People – A tiny street art project – Exhibitions, photography and even the book is out! .... All quite appealing and addictive!
"Little hand painted people, left in London to fend for themselves". With echos of The Borrowers, but with a much darker wit, the little people are out there. Keep your eyes peeled".

The Road Less Travelled

Deena Muzzi
7 days ago

Photo by Dee Muzzi - The Road Less Travelled

Man painting road – www.cartoonstock.com – [Image]
Pedestrian Street Art by Peter Gibson – [Images]
Road Art – Commercial Font Design – [Typography]
The Long Road out of Eden – Red Bubble – [Image]
Tony Lloyd – Lost Highways – [Exhbition]
Roads End – Reinfried Marass Photography – [Image]
Rivers and Tides – Andy Goldsworthy – [Featured post]
How many roads must a man travel down before he admits he is lost - Ex7mdan - Flickr – [Image]

Rivers and Tides - Andy Goldsworthy

Deena Muzzi
Sep 16, 2009

clipped from blog.lib.umn.edu

The film "Rivers and Tides" documenting the work of Andy Goldsworthy, besides being beautifully shot and edited, caused my mind to wander and reflect at a Zen like pace about these ideas of flow and transformation in various aspects of life from nature to humanity and culture. After watching the film in class and listening to the lecture, I watched it again at home and found Goldsworthy's slow, thoughtful way of speaking about his work to be quite meditative. I began to think about the idea of flow and energy in the city that we are blind to because of our constant exposure to it. One thing that immediately comes to mind is the network of streets, roads, ramps and highways that make up every city and is almost identical anywhere you go. These man-made concrete 'rivers' constructed for the purpose of easy transportation, almost mimic the natural flow of the river. Despite their ugly concrete and steel construction they can have a kind of austere beauty.

The Bricoleur

Deena Muzzi
Dec 16, 2009

Photo by Dee Muzzi - Life Boat - Werribee Park, Sculpture Walk

A lot of people need us – Red Bubble – [Image]
Famine in Uganda – Iconic Photos – [Article] Homework – Pictures from Finland – Photography by Arno Rafael Minkkinen – [Gallery]. Mary Daniel Hobson – Milagros – Series small; Series Large - A series of collages expressing people's wishes for positive change in the world. Life is an alleyway – by Henri Antoine – [Image]. Ricky Swallow: The Bricoleur - Exhibition NGV Ian Potter Centre, Melbourne - Art Blart - [Images] Art of Hands Bookends - Desktop Decor Store - [Design] A Show of Hands - [Image]

“Ricky Swallow: The exhibition’s title The Bricoleur refers to the kind of activities performed by a handyman or tinkerer, someone who makes creative use of whatever might be at hand".

Check out some of these classes we are offering nexy quarter!

#1010 - Beginning Figure Drawing

Instructor: Alex Alvarado
Sunday, 10am-1pm

This course is an introduction to the fundamental principals of sketching and drawing the human figure. Topics covered will include: Gesture drawing and the study of body movements and kinetics, the basic geometry of the human figure, the general proportions of the human head and figure, value studies and basic rendering technique. This class will start off with short 5-min poses and gradually advance to 2 1/2 hour poses.
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT: Enroll by December 19th and get $25 off

#1001 - Basic Drawing Fundamentals

Instructor: Eric Pedersen
Saturday, 10am-1pm

This course introduces the fundamentals of drawing. How to hold a charcoal pencil, simple shapes, volumes, c-curves, s-curves, straights, edges, 4-value system, thumbnails, introductory composition, light sources, core shadows, reflective lights, are all covered in this course. This is an excellent course for students with little to no formal drawing training at all, or those wanting a refresher course in the basics.

#2223 - The Verdaccio Approach to Painting

Instructor: Brianna Lee
Wednesday, 7pm-10pm

In this course students will focus on drawing the subject accurately, learn to transfer the drawing and how to prepare the Verdaccio under-painting for the final stages of glazing. Glazing can give luminous effects that cannot be achieved by direct painting. It is especially good for painting the translucent and luminous qualities of human flesh. This course is great for those who are new to painting because it begins with the drawing stage and introduces painting in a very methodical and simplified manner. This class is also suitable for intermediate to advanced students who are interested in learning how the Renaissance masters painted and how to make a painting glow. The course will consist of two 5 week paintings, one still-life and one portrait.

#2380B - Alla Prima Head/Figure Painting A and B

Instructor: Ignat Ignatov
Friday, 10am-4pm
This course will consist of painting demonstrations and lectures covering the important elements of painting such as value, color and edges, as well as composition and design. This class will also cover the limited palette and the amazing advantages that it offers. Each week the artists will paint from life a different model using the Alla Prima (wet into wet technique) and will receive individual instruction and critiques. The goal is to advance your skills in the direct painting method while applying the fundamentals to achieve a solid understanding of painting the human form in various light conditions and settings.

#2800B - Alla Prima Impressionist Painting A and B

Instructor: Vadim Zang
Monday, 10am-4pm

This painting course will emphasize tonal construction of the figure, the light and shadow relationship, and science of color. Vadim Zang will explain limited palette technique, giving demonstrations to help the student in applying tonal knowledge to paint.Students will then progress on to full color, with control of paint application. Individual critiques and instruction will guide the student.

#2367A - Figure Painting A and B

Instructor: Joseph Todorovitch
Wednesday, 12pm-3pm
We will paint the figure from life and discuss choices for setting up the pose, composition, color harmony, lighting, pacing, and bringing the painting to a decent level of resolve. We'll also discuss the language of describing paint in order to better understand our mixtures. Joseph will explain his approach and demonstrate by painting along and illustrating his ideas about the approach. Pose lengths will vary from single days to multiple days. Previous drawing experience is highly recommended.

The Winter Quarter starts January 4th. If you are interested in taking any of these classes, call 818.708.9232! To view a list of all our other classes, visit our website at www.laafa.org/sessions/calendar

Reminder: Open house Sat. Dec. 19th from 11am-4pm!