SJ172 : Life Drawing Studio: Playing Dress Up or Clothing the Human Body

Tuesdays, Jan 17, 24, 31, Feb 7 and 14

Virginia Wolfe said “there is much to support the view that it is clothes that wear us, and not we them; we may make them take the mould of arm or breast, but they mould our hearts, our brains, our tongues to their liking.” The nude model is the classic subject of artists seeking to understand the dynamic and expressive essence of the human form. We’ll warm-up during this class with nude poses, and then look at how clothing transforms and defines the body as an actor in the theater of contemporary life. Students will learn to render folds, and enjoy the colorful patterns of a model’s street attire or costumes obtained from Jan’s collection. Painters like Van Dongen, Matisse, Dufy, Schiele and Klimt come to mind, as does Elizabeth Peyton. Exhibitions to be held this fall concurrent with the class such as “Matisse Cézanne Picasso-L’aventure des Stein”, and “Berlin-Munich” will inspire us. Our drawings will also portray an aspect of ourselves: the clothes we wear and what they say about us.

Note: Individual classes and pro-rata rates are available.

Instructor: Jan Olsson is a professional artist and expert teacher with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Drawing. She has received international recognition in the form of grants, prizes and residencies, and her work is found in numerous public and private collections throughout the U.S. and Europe. Website: http://janolssaonart.com/