Art is not something one does; it is a life one lives...
I am honored that Patricia Bruno, owner of the Winged Rabbit Shop in Haverhill and journalist for the Methuen Life Magazine, wrote such nice things. Thank you to Patricia Bruno and Methuen Life . I truly appreciate all of this!
You may also link directly to Methuen Life where the article in the April 2020 edition is on pages 26 & 29
Here is another great video, my friends. Daniel Keys is an exceptional young master artist and once again he shares his knowledge of painting with us!
This video shows Daniel painting a yellow rose study. He got me at the yellow rose as they are my favorite flower. I give a way a bouquet of yellow roses to the collector every time i sell a painting.
Daniel starts out telling us what palette, brushes and paints he uses. This is a voice over video which i really like. It gives the artist and the viewer a look at the entire painting from a distance when thinking is clearer and the artist is not so caught up in the painting to be distracted from the painting by talking.
He first lays in the large shapes telling us when to use warm and cool paint and talks about edges. He describes the colors he is using and why. He describes the brushes he is using and why. Flowers are such a complicated thing to paint but Daniel has been painting flowers for a long time and knows their structure. I especially liked the way he explained the background and the leaf colors as well.
A little tip that I can give you is to take notes! The video is too large to download on my iPad so I watched it on my computer and took notes in google docs. I then print these notes and keep them in a binder along with other videos I have watched. I find this has been so helpful when I want to refer to an artist, his palette, his thoughts etc.
Daniel Keys “My Favorite Roses” is very much worth the price. You can find the download on his website at www.danieljkeys.comwww.danieljkeys.com
Sharon A. Morley
www.sharonmorley.com
October, 2019
Painting Light & Atmosphere by Joseph McGurl is a must have for any serious plein air landscape painter. This DVD starts out with Joseph McGurl painting on site in the mountains. It is fabulous! He explains what he is doing at all times and you can see this master painter in action, along with his thought process and what brushes and techniques he uses.
One thing that really stood out for me was all the different effects you can get simply by using different brushes and McGurl uses quite a few of them. I imagine the Old Masters did the same thing with what ever they had.
McGurl then takes you inside his studio to make a larger version of his study. He does not keep strictly to his study, he can choose to change things around. Again, you see this Master plein air painter at work and each and every brushstroke. He tells you the paints and mediums he uses and when and why he uses each one.
Another thing is that Joseph McGurl does not use photographs! He paints from life on site and takes that back to his studio to make a painting. He may touch up a few things on his study but does not want to hinder the freshness of painting outdoors and the feeling that the studies have. This is so much different from other painters who rely on photographs for their landscape paintings. He has so many studies and has been painting outside so long, he knows what the atmosphere will do and also can take parts from each of his studies to make a new painting.
The interview with Eric Rhoads is very enlightening. He asks good questions which McGurl answers openly and honestly.
I have been plein air painting for almost 20 years and found this DVD to be so helpful and insightful! I highly recommend this DVD. I watched it in 1/2 hour increments and took pages of notes while watching it. You can purchase this video at Liliedahl Art Instruction Videos. This video is definitely worth your time and money!
Sharon Morley
www.sharonmorley.com
September 4, 2019
Daniel Keys has been an inspiration to me for quite some time. I have watched his DVD’s and read articles on his work for the past 10 years or so. I was very excited when he released “Observations” which is a slide show that Daniel narrates along with slides of his work.
In this work, Daniel explains what, in his opinion, makes a good painting. Drawing, Value, Edges, Color and Composition. He is a remarkable teacher and this slide show is so good. Having taught art for over 15 years, I know those things are true. The way Daniel teaches about value in depth is not something I have heard before. He analyses a few of his paintings to demonstrate his points. It is an EXCELLENT slide show and he has it on his website for $16.00. The slide show is a little over 1 hour and packed with knowledge. I enjoyed it very much. I take notes in google docs while I am watching the video to refer back to then I watched the video again. We are so lucky to be living in a time where we can see and listen to master artists explain their paintings and their concepts.
You go to his website, www.danieljkeys.com to download this slideshow. He allows 5 downloads per order. I must say, I have a new iPad pro and a new iPhone and even though it downloaded on both devices; the slide show stopped playing after a few minutes. Maybe my internet is not strong enough, I am not sure.
I then downloaded it to my computer and it played pretty well. I highly recommend this slide show and any other videos by Daniel Keys.
Sincerely,
Sharon A. Morley, APS-ME
www.sharonmorley.com
Artist/Art Teacher
Fine Art America is a website that I have been using for some years now to create prints, greeting cards, and many other things like phone cases, blankets, shower curtains etc. I first started with Fine Art America and the cost was $30.00 per year. This cost is so affordable for every artist and photographer. The ideal is that you upload your information and good quality photos of your artwork. (They will tell you if the quality meets their standards when you upload your image.) Now you can share your artwork in print form with your patrons, friends and family.
You then get to choose how much profit you will make on each item. They have a template to use as your standard pricing so you do not have to select profits on every image that you upload.
Fine Art America has also have teamed up with ABC/DISNEY! You can select whether you want your artwork displayed on ABC/Disney as well.
You also get an email campaign newsletter that you can customize and send by email to your patrons. You may also upload the campaign to social media like Facebook, Instagram, Google, Twitter, etc. It is simple to use, you just type what you want to say in one column, and they code it to show up exactly as it will on your finished product. You also get statistics of who opened the email and who didn’t. Uploading your email addresses is simple as well.
As if that isn’t enough, you also get a website included with this same subscription!!
I highly recommend Fine Art America to anyone who is starting out in this wonderful adventure of art and to those of us have been in it for some time. I just sold another print on FineArtAmerica.com of Santorini, Greece.
They do not sell your original work but link to your website. I have sold prints and original paintings by using FineArtAmerica.com
Please feel free to ask questions and I will do the best I can to answer them!
Sharon Morley
I received my copy of Cesar Santos “Painting the Figure” yesterday and was able to watch the first 2 segments on transferring the drawing and painting the underpainting.
Cesar is a great instructor and this dvd starts where his figure drawing dvd left off.
Cesar begins with an in-depth segment on how to photograph your figure and how to transfer your drawing. I have seen this approach before but Cesar shows you step by step all the while telling you what he is doing and why.
He then starts painting the underpainting with 2 colors plus white. This is a different approach from his portrait painting video. He begins immediately to show form using very few values. Just mesmerizing!
I watched this video and took notes -pages and pages of notes. What a great teacher as well as a master painter. He is just so authentic and likeable!
Definitely an awesome addition to any serious painter’s education!
Art is not something one does;
it is a life one lives…
Sharon Morley
Www.sharonmorley.com
Cesar Santos Latest DVD is out!
The DVD that I have been waiting for since the Cesar Santos Portrait drawing is now available. “Secrets of Figure Drawing with Cesar Santos.” I have had the DVD since the day it came out and have just finished it due to my busy schedule. It has so much information that it probably should be watched a little at a time as I have been doing.
Cesar is a master artist; the contemporary portrait/figure artist that I look up to the most. This DVD really delivers so much knowledge on the figure that it makes you want to study anatomy on the same level that Cesar has. He does recommend books for study that he studied when he attended Angel Academy in Florence. One book Cesar refers to is “Artistic Anatomy” by Paul Richer which I find is very helpful and have started learning from it.
While you are watching Cesar draw, you know he is a master. Cesar knows all the anatomy of the figure and uses correct names but it is not overboard, Cesar is way too cool for that, he simply states the part as he is drawing. You do understand that it is important to draw from life and use the correct names of the bones and muscles.
Cesar starts the DVD by showing how to photograph the model and then proceeds to draw from a model that he photographed. (There is also a little bit about the ethics of using photographs in the video).
He then does a quick sketch of the model to get the feel of the lines and the placement on the page. Next, Cesar does a contour drawing of the model. His precision is outstanding! He uses Nitram Charcoal. – the same type he used at Angel Academy. He uses B for the block in and HB for the rest of it (I think, it does not actually tell you when he is using which charcoal stick). I had the Nitram Charcoal and I bought the Nitram Sharpening Bloc which I love. Cesar has made his own sharpening block, but for the price; I think it is worthwhile to buy it.
When Cesar starts laying down tonal values, he brings the model to life. He is so articulate and meticulous in his drawing and shading. When you look at the model’s right knee in the drawing, it has a life of its own. The hands, feet, head, they could all be little masterpiece paintings in themselves. I often times tell my students that each part of your drawing should stand on it’s own, well, Cesar is the master at that!
The interview with Eric Rhoads is awesome. It is a casual interview but that is what Eric is so good at; he asks good questions and the artist feels at ease talking with him. (I have watched many of his interviews). I learned so much about Cesar but also his thinking process and I think everyone should definitely watch this, he is a true master and a true inspiration!!.
Other materials Cesar uses are sponges to soften, kneaded eraser, stumps, soft and bristle brushes to achieve the softness or hardness and tone quality in the drawing. I am only half way through the DVD but I highly recommend it. Get this DVD!!
You can watch the trailer and buy the “Secrets of Figure Drawing by Cesar Santos DVD” here (which I do not get compensation for from Streamline Art Videos) – I just want everyone to know how good the DVD is!
I hope this helps someone else on their journey
Sharon A. Morley APS-ME
November 29, 2017
February 23, 2017 6:00 – 8:00 PM Shute Library, 781 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149 Color Your World with Pastels! Workshop Call the Shute Library to sign up at (617) 394-2308. Teens and adults welcome, no experience or materials needed. http://www.noblenet.org/everett/shute.html
March 11, 2017 10:00 – 12:00 PM Holbrook Public Library, Holbrook, MA 2 Plymouth Street, Holbrook, MA 02343 Color Your World With Pastels! Call Holbrook Library to Register. Materials Included- no experience necessary!
781-767-3644 http://holbrookpubliclibrary.org/
April 22, 2017 10:00 Am – 12:00 PM Sunderland Public Library, 20 School Street, Sunderland, Massachusetts 01375 – (413) 665 2642 Color Your World With Pastels! Call the Sunderland Library to Register. Materials Included- no experience necessary! http://www.sunderlandpubliclibrary.org/
Saturday, April 29, 2017 10:00 – 2:00 PM Essex Art Center 56 Island St., Lawrence, MA Color Your World with Pastels.4 Hour intensive class- Materials Included. Call Essex Art Center to Sign Up. 978-685-2343
Saturday, June 3, 2017 10:00 – 2:00 PM Essex Art Center 56 Island St., Lawrence, MA Go Outside and Play!.2 Hour intensive class Setting up for success when you go outside to paint! Tips on how to set up, materials etc. Oil, pastel, watercolor and gouache. . Call Essex Art Center to Sign Up. 978-685-2343
No experience is necessary for any of these workshops or for my classes. This is a relaxing time for you to explore what each medium does, how to use it, what the good materials are and why. You may ask any questions. This is not a drawing workshop so you need not already know how to draw. These workshops are about exploring the pastels or oils and paying little attention to drawing. You can follow along with me to do a simple painting, or you can bring a photograph that you took to work on. (Please bring an easier photo as time will not permit an in depth painting tutorial).
I hope to see you at one of the workshops or classes!
Classes
Private, Semi Private and small group classes are held at my studio or at a location TBA. Currently class times are Thursday 9am-11 am. and 11:30-am – 1:30 PM Please email me at morleytstudio@aol.com or call me at 978-273-8925 to register or for any questions.
Merrill Farm in Spring 11x14 Oil on linen
I have two workshops coming up at Essex Art Center, Lawrence, Ma. 1) October 22, from 10AM-2:00 PM Color Your World in Oils! This is a 4 hour intensive workshop where you will learn how to oil paint even if you have never touched a paint brush before! I will explain the materials to use and why, how to use these materials, and then you will get to paint using all the materials that I supply. I will also touch on how to frame and oil painting.
The second workshop will be held at Essex Art Center, 2) Friday, November 18, 2016 from 10:00-2:00 Pm. This is Color Your World with Pastels! A four hour intensive workshop where you will learn how to paint with pastels, which ones to buy, and then we will have time to experiment with a painting using materials that I supply. I will also touch on how to frame pastels (and photos). I do not sell any products, I just tell you the ones I find work well.
No experience necessary! You just have to show up and let me do the rest!
This is the perfect time to start painting as the holidays near. I have found that painting makes me happy, reduces stress, and someone may want your lovely paintings as a gift! Please email me at morleystudio@aol.com for further information. Please sign up at Essex Art Center, 56 Island Street, Lawrence, MA 01840 www.essexart.com or call 978-685-2343 HOURS: MONDAY - FRIDAY, 10 AM - 6 PM
I have other workshops listed on my website http://sharonmorley.com/classes-and-workshops/ I hope to see you soon!
Head and hands are the most difficult of all drawing subjects but there is help! Drawing the Head and Hands by Andrew Loomis is a reprint of the 1956 book of the same title.
Andrew Loomis was an artist/illustrator who taught at the American Academy of Art in Chicago in the 1930’s.
His books are full of so much knowledge and humor. His illustrations are impeccable and have taught me so much. They are beautiful renditions of people as most illustrators of his time portrayed. The book has helped me with lighting in my portraits. There is an illustration for nearly every type of portrait lighting and I look to this book for beautiful rendering and form.
Drawing the Head and Hands starts with drawing the skull then moves on to drawing different parts of the face. We then learn to develop complete portraits of men, women and children in a variety poses and lighting situations.. The book finishes with a chapter on hand again, showing many different poses.
Drawing the Head and Hands is available online to read in your browser for free by going to archive.org
Other books by Loomis are:
I highly recommend any of his books as he is one of the greatest teachers of our time. Please let me know what you think of any of the Andrew Loomis titles! I hope this helps!
Sharon Morley, January 11, 2016