Figure Drawing

It was a great session last night. Thanks for everyone who came out. A little warmer and a little lighter every day.

GBSS Artists Talk to Area Eight-Graders

GBSS Artists Erich Boldt and Matt Duckett were invited to participate in the La Crosse School District's Career Day for eighth graders, which included students from Logan, Lincoln, Longfellow, Onalaska and Holmen Middle Schools. Erich and Matt represented the Fine Artist profession, discussing with students the path that they have taken in order to live a life of art. They discussed what it takes to establish a foundation for a career in art, some of the market trends and forces on artists, and some of the many ways a fine artist can carve out a living. Remember: sketchbook, sketchbook, sketchbook!

GBSS Spring Break Workshops for young students!

Announcing the GBSS Spring Break Art Workshops! Designed for younger students, either middle or high school-age, this four-day set of workshops covers the various processes involved in creating paintings, both realist and abstract. Included will be discussions of creativity and motivation. It will be packed with information that even adult artists strive to find out, and will be an invaluable experience for young artists as they enter high school or college. Put together by artists who have examined their own pre- and post-secondary experiences and shortcomings, the aim is to provide young people with a knowledge and understanding of art that is often provided too late--after the development of necessary skills that takes place in our teenage years. We look forward to having fun and sharing our knowledge with young artists in an exciting stage of their lives. Check back soon or email us for registration form and more information, including schedule of events.

Workshop cost is $100 for four days.

The classes will be taught by Erich Boldt and Matt Duckett. Erich Boldt is a substitute teacher for the La Crosse School District, and has taught in five school districts in Wisconsin. He graduated in 2007 from UW-Stout with a B.S. in Education and a B.F.A. in Fine Art. He has exhibited work across the state. Matt Duckett is a recent UWL grad with a B.A. in Fine Art and a B.A. in English. He has already won numerous awards and commissions during his young career, including being commissioned to create a portrait of new UWL Chancellor Joe Gow for his inaugural ceremony, and being the only UWL student commissioned by the UWL Foundation to create a new piece of work for their collection. He is also the two-time winner of the Dale and Betty Kendrick Award for a Painter, the highest award available for a painting student at UWL.

Figurative Drawing Workshops by Matt Duckett

Just wanted to let you all know that I'll be teaching a figurative drawing class at the Pump House Regional Arts Center starting in February. The Pump House just announced their next year of Arts Education classes and workshops. We'll cover the basics of rendering a figure, from proportion, to musculature, faces, and line and tonal techniques. We'll be working in charcoal, but we can accommodate your medium if you'd like. We will work from a live model, so this is a grand opportunity to tighten up your figure drawing abilities in an instructional, structured environment.

The class is a four-week session, either Wednesday afternoons or Thursday nights. That's:

February 18, 25, March 4, 11, 2 pm - 3:30 or
February 19, 26, March 5, 12, 6p - 7:30.

The cost is $95 ($85 for Pump House Members).
Head over to the Pump House website for more information, the materials list, to see the other shops offered, and to register.

GBSS Artist on the new La Crosse City Arts Board

La Crosse has just created the new City Arts Board. This is great news for the art community of La Crosse, since it means more representation and attention from City Hall. This should mean more opportunities in the near future for both young and older artists, and the Board will be working to cement La Crosse's reputation as a fertile arts city. Matt Duckett recently received a mayoral appointment to serve a two-year term on the Board. It is an exciting opportunity for him to be able to represent the young artists of the area in such a critical forum for their growth and futures.

Figure Drawing Back in Action!

The first figure drawing session of the year went great.  Thanks to everyone who made it out despite the ice and cold.  Everyone must've been starved of drawing, becasue we filled the place up.  We look forward to seeing you all next week!