June Grisailles from Thompson and deMartin's Class

League Drawing 7

A two session drawing from Dan Thompon's class at the Art Students League.

Painted Sketch Class 34

Last of the season.

Painted Sketch Class 33

Trying to master design, value and application.

League Drawing 6

League Drawings

This one is from a single 3 hour session...

... and this is from the last 3 weeks.

Painted Sketch Class 32

Painted Sketch Class 31

Painted Sketch Class 30

Painted Sketch Class 29

More learning.

Letter to my supporters 2.22.09

Thought I'd share some thoughts with everyone in my support network.

The Painted Sketch class I have been taking on Monday nights is still helping me work on the basics of my seeing abilities and a chance to develop the way I use paint and think about the process of getting it onto the canvas. LatelyI have been attempting to take the first 20 or 40 minutes of each class to make decisions about what my main color combinations will be and mixing all of them before applying any to the canvas. This helps me to see the picture as a field of color relationships instead of a bunch of independent colors. Colors effect each other and it is important to see them like a family sitting at a table instead of everybody locked in their own rooms. I am also trying to use the paint in a way that is more expressive of my feeling for the practice, which mostly means using a bit more paint and some oil added to give it more body.

I just bought Robert Henri's book "The Art Spirit" and am finding it chalk full of useful ideas. I am especially interested in the idea that an artist should know what he likes and how these things are the motivation for a picture and for the technique that will make the expression of the idea of the subject come to life. My next projects at home will be some food related still-lifes since I like food and cooking so much and find the forms of food and cooking hardware interesting. I think that having this motivation behind them will allow for works that are more than a student's practice, an expression of my enjoyment as a painter and a human being interested in life and will lead me further toward my potential as an artist.

Thanks to everyone who have shown their interest in my progress and expressions and please let me know what you think of my efforts.

In living color,
Aaron Seckman

Flowers 2.15.09