Price: R1,200 per person for the two days. Some materials will be provided (see below for all the info on what to bring). Coffee and tea will be provided. Payment details can be shared upon enquiry.
Theme and focus: We will explore How David Hockney created his art:
- what was he interested in?
- what was his work life like?
- what are the key elements of his art making?
- what was he thinking about?
- what can we learn from his approach?
David Hockney is one of the most renowned artists of our time. He did have a traditional classical art education background, yet he moved off on his own trajectory very early on in his long and illustrious career. What motivated him? How did he manage to be so prolific?
David's approach was drawing intensive - drawing whatever was around him, finding everything interesting, being curious about how to draw any thing. He enjoyed looking, seeing things; he observed everything. In short: he was an obsessive sketcher. Behind his paintings are thousands of quick sketches, all sorts of scenes - people, landscapes, interiors - focusing on what he saw and capturing it in his own way. He captured moments from Life.
The focus on this workshop is: Looking. There was always an inherent joie de vivre in this for David - a joy of living. In the myriads of interviews with him he always seemed to emphasize the simple joy of looking! The focus in this and all the Draw Yourself Back To Life workshops to follow is the love of Drawing.
David also played with a wide range of artists' tools. In this workshop we'll play with the tools we feel most familiar with, and also challenge ourselves to think in new ways by playing with tools we don't know so well.
We will focus on the HOW of David's process, learn about the tools and tricks he valued most and learn how to use them to create our own marks and find our own voice.
Outcome
At the core of these workshops is the impetus to find your own voice and develop your own visual language, and so the need to remain flexible and allow what comes in your final outcomes will be encouraged. And yet, while the studio space can serve as the creative crucible for all sorts of magical things to happen, it is also important to have a sturdy structure and departure point to guide us gently and firmly to something concrete in the short time we will be gathering. The Outcome of this workshop will combine both flexibility - playing, fun and surrender - and a goal.
Goal: create your own original work either as a drawing, set of drawings, a mixed media piece or a work of pure painting.
David's work included portraits, landscapes, interiors, still lifes and series; sometimes he was telling a story, sometimes he seemed to 'just' be celebrating a view that he enjoyed in his own environment. He liked to talk about 'picture making' - why it is important, and how humans have a need to do it. He pointed out how each picture made - and this is, indeed what makes his own art so special - can show us a unique perspective, a one-of-a-kind moment from one person's viewpoint, and that there's something really special about that.
Your final outcomes will take their cues from some of the drawing exercises we go through, allowing the final piece to emerge from your studies and observations, as well as from the preparation you will do beforehand. Allow what comes up to guide you, and we will take it from there. The goal is really to find the delight in your own perspective and find a way to celebrate that, using some of the methods that David refined.
Participants are also welcome to make a purely David Hockney tribute and use one of his signature subjects/scenes in a unique way - your way - that says Thank You David.
This is not a workshop to try and copy or emulate David's actual work, techniques or subject matter, but to learn about the tools and tricks he valued most, and learn how to use them to create our own marks and find our own voice. This is a HOW workshop, not just a WHAT workshop.
Preparation: think about what it is that makes David Hockney’s work unique to you? Why do you like or even love his work? You might like to write about it.
Bring your favourite David Hockney artwork/s in a print, a book or digital download on your laptop or phone. We will explore these in the group and individually. What we share on the first day in our discussions may introduce you to a new or related idea that may spark a departure point for you. Your offering can be used as a personal reference for a projected outcome - a particular view, subject, or medium you wish to explore - or used as a tool to open up where you and David perhaps have something in common, and find out what that is - what are you both looking at; what are you both finding interesting?
Process
Each participant may already have their own process of working through an idea. I am open to working with you through whatever you bring. If you have a specific personal goal after reading through this brief we can discuss it. It is always useful to have a departure point. Remember: this is a workshop for you to explore your own ideas, what works for you, and develop this into a personal process - if you don't already have one!
Some participants like to have a solid ground from which to start and are uncomfortable with having no brief, and some participants are more open to the challenge of not knowing what will happen in a shared studio group. Know that there is no pressure on you to bring a ready-formed idea. It will emerge from your first day.
If you do not find an idea forthcoming but are in need of a departure point of some kind, stay with the goal and preparation outlined above. Bringing your David Hockney reference piece will ground you into a process.
Workshop basic schedule and structure (with time for breaks; schedule is flexible to accommodate group and individual process and development)
DAY 1 - Wednesday 29 July - pure drawing
9AM-12
-Warm ups
-Intro to: look at DH artwork over the years (videos/photos/books), have discussion - look at various ways DH drew different scenes/subject matter - open discussion about the thinking/looking process he was employing in each of them
-Getting into it: sketch sketch sketch - Outdoors - Interior - No focus
-Play with different mediums
1-4 PM
-More warm up sketching
-More focus: outdoors scene, and interior, then people in interior
-Go back to your favourite DH work: what is it about this - what each participant loves about DH’s work - what makes him stand out from all the others for you - what does it make you think of/want to portray - what are you going to use from this work - reference it? Or utilise the manner in which it was rendered?
-Play with elements. Go with what comes up - perhaps it triggers a new idea - be open to this
-Begin drawing a sketch for a painting/mixed media piece, or perhaps a larger drawing piece or a series
DAY 2 - Thursday 30 July - drawing/paint/mixed media
9AM-12
-Warm up: more sketching, perhaps with a wet medium - something different might come up on a new day.
-Continue work on sketch/es for a drawing/series/painting/mixed media piece
-Paint palette of limited colours e.g. black, white, red, yellow, blue OR mixed media of choice e.g ink and one colour OR charcoal & two colours OR paint & pencil drawn in layers etc
-Practise drawing directly onto canvas - painting is also drawing - work on canvas sheets - washes with acrylic & brush/ ink & brush - ‘sketching’ the idea and what this entails
-Sketch scene onto your own canvas/paper
-Begin work on final piece/pieces
1-4 PM
-Complete
-Studio viewing/discussion.
Materials and tools
What you need to bring:
-unruled sketchbook - a hardcover please for protecting the paper no matter where you may find yourself drawing. Size is entirely up to you.
-a range of drawing materials e.g. pencils, fineliners, ballpoint pens, felt tip pens/koki pens/magic markers, coloured pencils, oil/chalk pastels, kneaded eraser
-a canvas for your final piece if that is what you would like to do. David is well known for painting very large canvases. If you are interested in painting a canvas, you could also think about purchasing a set of smaller canvases to paint a series. These are often more affordable, and take the pressure off you having to complete one possibly large painting; they are also useful for making paint 'sketches' during exercise time.
-a range of brushes - also look in your hardware store for bigger brushes!
-paint: only a limited palette of toned down, natural blues, blacks, whites, reds, yellows, e.g. (only a suggestion) Mars black, Payne’s grey, cobalt blue, Prussian blue, cerulean blue, Indian red, burnt Sienna, titanium white, yellow ochre, as well as brighter variations of these for your personal DH paint box journey. Will you bring oils or acrylics? Remember: oils take time to dry, and require turpentine to thin/clean brushes. Acrylics may be more suitable for the short duration of the workshop. Watercolours are also welcome for both drawing and paint days.
Only bring paint if you intend to play and work with it. This is a drawing-intensive workshop. Painting only can and may happen - it is not compulsory!
For those of you who are more seasoned art makers, please make sure to bring what you feel you will specifically need for your process e.g. kneaded eraser, craft knife/NT cutter, palette knife or tape, a range of brushes for your painting.
You are welcome to bring your own paper, and any other extras just in case you feel the inkling. Remember this is a drawing-focused workshop: while we will experiment with the very idea of what 'drawing' can be, it will not be possible to experiment with the entire craft shop in the time we spend together. You may want to think about keeping your tool kit simple in order to hone your focus.
Also remember that you have a return trip home that will be carrying your finished art works. Please bring a folder or other suitable material to carry and transport any potentially wet or messy surfaces e.g paint or charcoal.
Please bring your own snacks.
Lunches on the two days will be available to order separately at your own expense from the Buccaneers restaurant.
What is included:
-art history & art picture books for reading and reference
-canvas sheets for exercises
-polystyrene trays for palettes, glass jars for paint water
-palette knives
-drop sheets
-cartridge/other paper A4, A3 and A2
-tape
-drawing boards and easels
-drawing paper clips
-a supply of extra drawing mediums e.g. charcoal, ink, pastels, felt markers, permanent markers
-coffee and tea
Email or text me for more information, or if you need any other information e.g. regarding materials:
(+27)721111804
kateteesdaleart@gmail.com
I look forward to having you on the workshop!
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