It's Summer!

Well, summer is here!  A huge thank you to all our participants for helping to make Art Tracks a success!  Many of you have already dispersed to various summer destinations:   We said good-bye to Tessa a month ago when she packed her bags and left for Shadow Lake,  a Community Living camp for people with special needs.  She's working there as the camp nutritionist for the second year in a row.   As for the rest of our family, we'll be heading north; I intend to spend the next few weeks outdoors as much as possible, armed with brushes and paint!   Have a wonderful summer everyone --- draw, paint, read, play an instrument, swim or do whatever it is you love to do!  We'll meet again in September!

Beautiful Cow! Irene's first drawing on the last day!

For the past year, Julia has been badgering her mom, Irene to take an art lesson with her.   With some trepidation, Irene finally consented to give it a try.   The lovely cow you see here is her very first drawing, produced on our last day!   Great work, Irene!  Have a wonderful summer!

Landscape in watercolour by Emily (grade 9) work in progress

Julia's sister, Emily, also joined us on the last day.  After sketching a landscape based on a calendar photo, she began blocking in her big shapes with watercolours.  There was not sufficient time for her to finish, but even at this stage, there's a wonderful sweeping feel to her water, and a general unity to the whole picture.   Lovely work Emily!

Loon - work in progress by Julia

Julia's drawing and painting skills have really developed over the past year.  Using a reference photo, she was able to complete her sketch of the loon in a single session.  Her pencil lines are clear and confident, and her proportions accurate.  The next steps involved applying washes of blue and green to her background, thereby throwing her subject into relief.   Although she didn't have time to finish, I think you'll agree she's made a wonderful start.   Have a great summer Julia --- we'll continue in the fall! 

End of the year cake painting

With summer almost here, some of our after school participants decided they wanted to paint a cake on their last day.   Armed with  icing, food colouring and sprinkles, look below to see what can happen when the cake becomes the canvas!

Guin's horse cake!

Niah's blue elephant cake!

Teddy bear cake! (Tess)

Funny Face Cake! (by Chloe)

Horse by Leah (grade 5)

Great horse, Leah!  Nice use of washes on the dark surface of the horse!

Julia painting a landscape at sunset.

June is such a busy month!   So little time to wrap everything up before the summer break!  No matter, Julia begins two new projects, a landscape and another bird study!  If she finishes before the break, that's great; if she doesn't, well, that's O.K. too!  Here she is working on a landscape, having declared she needs to branch out and try something she hasn't done before.  Bravo Julia!

Tessa - co-instructor at Art Tracks

My daughter, Tessa Hallman-Chong, co-teaches with me at Art Tracks  when her schedule permits.  An accomplished artist in her own right, Tessa also coordinates programs for people with special needs as well as attending Ryerson University's School of Social Work.  Because of her busy schedule, she is presently able to join us only occasionally.  However, on those occasions when is is able to do so, students are invariably delighted by her knowledge and enthusiasm.  

Tessa conferring with Taylore and Leah

Wild Flowers by Tess (grade 4)

As we progressed into the wonderful sultry month of June, my "after school artists" frequently arrived hot, flushed, thirsty and "dying" for something cold!  Fortunately for them, dismissal from school during the warm weather just happens to coincide with the arrival of an ice cream truck parked handily just beside the school's hillside garden.   On one such day, we decided to begin our session with a visit to the ice cream man, and on our way back Tess plucked a few tendrils of  a the tiny wild flowers sprouting up along the path.  Upon arriving back in the art room, she arranged them in a small jar and produced this little painting.

Driftwood and lemon by Taylore (grade 5)

There's a nice movement to this whimsical little arrangement of driftwood and lemon.  The somewhat abstract form of the driftwood leads the eye across the page, with the lemon pulling our view down, around and up again. 

Portrait of Van Gogh by Niah (grade 6)

I think Mr. Van Gogh would approve of this piece, rendered in a style much like his own!  Very nicely done, especially considering this was Niah's very first portrait!

Niah (grade 6) working out measurements of a head

Many people are a little intimidated by the idea of doing a portrait.  To overcome those fears, we focus more on the general proportions of the head --- the correct placement of eyes, nose, mouth and ears, rather than worrying too much about drawing an exact replica of the subject.   Sometimes we practise self portraits using mirrors, or sometimes we draw each other.  Here, Niah has decided to use a picture reference to create a portrait of Van Gogh.