Drawing lessons are one of the best parts of my art business. See? Happy people having fun! Once a week, I spend an afternoon helping people draw at the Courthouse Gallery in Exeter. Some folks just need a regular place and time to draw, some need help with difficult projects, and some need instruction every […]
One Day Drawing Workshop
Happy Birthday, Lauren!! At Arts Visalia, a non-profit gallery in (duh) Visalia, I gave a drawing workshop on Saturday. There were 6 participants, all attending for different reasons – used to draw, always wanted to draw, tried it before but wasn’t successful, a painter who wants better shapes, draws a little but wants a boost. […]
Jennifer
Jennifer Logan was a friend of mine for about 30 years. We met in Lemon Cove at the Womans Club (yes, that is the correct spelling); I was taken with her English accent and for some reason, she liked me. She called me “Janner” and referred to herself as “Jennifa”, which tickled my fancy. When […]
One Day Drawing Workshop
Are you interested in a one day drawing workshop? Here is your opportunity! Place: Arts Visalia, Visual Art Center 214 East Oak Avenue Visalia, CA 93279 Phone: (559)739-0905 Date: June 10 What: Pencil Drawing Workshop Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Instructor: Jana Botkin Details: This workshop teaches realistic detailed pencil drawing from photos. Advancing your skill set or new […]
Opening Night at Gray Matter
The show “Gray Matter”, consisting of pencil drawings by 3 of my advanced drawing students and me, opened on Friday evening. This is the Brandon-Mitchell Gallery from the front, 117 S. Locust Street, Visalia, California. That is the county seat of Tulare County, in Central California where I live and work as an artist. (In […]
Gray Matter, A Pencil Show
This show is all graphite pencil, 3 of my (very) advanced drawing students and me. It is part of Visalia’s monthly Art Walk, an event in downtown Visalia on the first Friday of each month. See you there?
Pencil Show Coming Soon
A pencil show? Yes, an art show of only pencil drawings by 3 of my advanced drawing students and me! Some facts: Title: Gray Matter Dates: Friday, May 5 and Friday, June 2 Location: Brandon-Mitchell Gallery, 117 So. Locust in Downtown Visalia (between Main and Acequia, west side of the street) Time: 5-8 p.m. Participants: Kelvin Farris, Maggie Meling, Wendy […]
No Face Smaller Than an Egg
That’s what I tell my students, and perhaps I need to specify that I am NOT speaking of a hummingbird egg. But, sometimes my students test their skills while also testing mine. I warn, nag, deny, forbid, warn some more and finally capitulate, but with more warnings. When someone insists on doing a drawing that […]
Finishing Drawings For Other People
Every week I teach people how to draw and have been doing this since 1994. Sometimes people stay for years, sometimes they discover it isn’t for them after a few lessons, and sometimes a year or two satisfies their itch to learn to draw. Sometimes people grow up, graduate, move away, retire, travel, or something […]
What’s Wrong With This Picture?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TAMMIE! Last week I took a small stack of pencil drawings to a framer because I have a show coming in the spring. As I was lining them out on his counter, I decided that there is something wrong with this picture. It isn’t anything I can put my finger on; I just […]