The Hein Academy has two buildings. The art show will be in the building on the northeast corner of Main Street and 700 South in Salt Lake City. The entrance for the show is on the north side of the building.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Graduation Art Show!
I haven't been posting on here very often but I thought I should announce that, after five years, I'm graduating from the Hein Academy of Art! Come celebrate with me at an art show where I'll be displaying a progression of my studies. I'll show some of the drawings and paintings I've completed along the way, beginning with basic shapes and moving into more complex color concepts.
The Hein Academy has two buildings. The art show will be in the building on the northeast corner of Main Street and 700 South in Salt Lake City. The entrance for the show is on the north side of the building.
The Hein Academy has two buildings. The art show will be in the building on the northeast corner of Main Street and 700 South in Salt Lake City. The entrance for the show is on the north side of the building.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Figure painting
Well, it's been almost a year since I've posted anything. Looking back I see that I've learned a lot about painting skin in the last year. Here is a figure I completed last month.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Solving Problems
Painting is all about solving problems. This assignment is the perfect example of that.
I recently finished another optical mixing assignment - a self-portrait, as you can see. I first had to paint a monochromatic version of the self-portrait to get the drawing and values right...otherwise, it would be a lot more difficult when I started adding the dots. (When I painted the pumpkins/gourds for a previous optical mixing assignment I wasn't diligent in making the shapes and values accurate before I started adding the dots so I had to adjust the drawing and value with the dots as I went. That was very time consuming and difficult).
I chose to paint myself in green because I discovered from my last two optically mixed paintings (I don't have a decent picture of the second assignment so I haven't posted it - I will sometime) that green was the color I had to keep adding. It's a valuable color because it has yellow in it and it's tricky adding yellow to the dark sections of the painting because yellow is light in value. So by adding green, you are adding yellow and I can cancel out the green by adding red (because it's the opposite of green and when combined evenly it makes gray).
As I painted I would step back and assess the painting, deciding which color it needed. At times the skin was too orange. The opposite of orange is blue so I'd add some blue dots...then it would sometimes feel purple. The opposite of purple is yellow so I'd try to add yellow. Or I'd add green because it has yellow in it. I could cover some of the blue dots with green and that might solve the problem.
It was a challenge to keep the drawing accurate while adding the dots. I think the original green painting looks more like me than the completed one, but the assignment was about color so I'm satisfied. I have learned a lot from optical mixing.
By the way, I was pleased to find that the green self-portrait only took me 45 hours, which is a long time, but considerably faster than the previous self-portraits I've done (hooray!). It took an additional 25 hours to get all those dots right.
I recently finished another optical mixing assignment - a self-portrait, as you can see. I first had to paint a monochromatic version of the self-portrait to get the drawing and values right...otherwise, it would be a lot more difficult when I started adding the dots. (When I painted the pumpkins/gourds for a previous optical mixing assignment I wasn't diligent in making the shapes and values accurate before I started adding the dots so I had to adjust the drawing and value with the dots as I went. That was very time consuming and difficult).
I chose to paint myself in green because I discovered from my last two optically mixed paintings (I don't have a decent picture of the second assignment so I haven't posted it - I will sometime) that green was the color I had to keep adding. It's a valuable color because it has yellow in it and it's tricky adding yellow to the dark sections of the painting because yellow is light in value. So by adding green, you are adding yellow and I can cancel out the green by adding red (because it's the opposite of green and when combined evenly it makes gray).
As I painted I would step back and assess the painting, deciding which color it needed. At times the skin was too orange. The opposite of orange is blue so I'd add some blue dots...then it would sometimes feel purple. The opposite of purple is yellow so I'd try to add yellow. Or I'd add green because it has yellow in it. I could cover some of the blue dots with green and that might solve the problem.
It was a challenge to keep the drawing accurate while adding the dots. I think the original green painting looks more like me than the completed one, but the assignment was about color so I'm satisfied. I have learned a lot from optical mixing.
By the way, I was pleased to find that the green self-portrait only took me 45 hours, which is a long time, but considerably faster than the previous self-portraits I've done (hooray!). It took an additional 25 hours to get all those dots right.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Master Study Drawings
My friend, and fellow art student, Emily, and I have started doing some master studies of drawings by John Singer Sargent. I really love the freedom of his strokes on the page. His drawings have a spontaneity to them, yet they are beautifully accurate and well done. By copying his work I've been paying attention to the marks he makes and trying to learn how to implement some of his technique into my own art.
These are reproductions I drew of a few of his portraits. Emily and I have decided to sell some of these drawings to help pay for our art education. If you're interested in purchasing one, take a look at our website: www.masterstudydrawings.com.
These are reproductions I drew of a few of his portraits. Emily and I have decided to sell some of these drawings to help pay for our art education. If you're interested in purchasing one, take a look at our website: www.masterstudydrawings.com.
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| copy of John Singer Sargent's "Tamara Karsavina" |
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| copy of John Singer Sargent's "Robert Henry Benson" |
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| copy of John Singer Sargent's "Mrs. Gilbert Legh" |
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Good News!
A few weeks ago I applied for an art scholarship through Deseret Book. The scholarship is for art students who plan to paint religious art in the future. I was honored to be chosen as one of the recipients of a $3,000 scholarship to use towards my art education! Hooray!
To apply for the scholarship we submitted 5 photos of our work (see below), along with an essay. The first painting is a piece I did eight years ago and is a much different style from the work I'm currently producing, but it was part of a series I painted about the Creation and it gave me the desire to paint spiritual art. The other four show the techniques I've been cultivating the last few years while studying at the Hein Academy. I hope to be able to find a way to combine the expression of my Creation paintings with the more academic skills I'm currently developing.
You can read the announcement on the LDS Living Blog.
To apply for the scholarship we submitted 5 photos of our work (see below), along with an essay. The first painting is a piece I did eight years ago and is a much different style from the work I'm currently producing, but it was part of a series I painted about the Creation and it gave me the desire to paint spiritual art. The other four show the techniques I've been cultivating the last few years while studying at the Hein Academy. I hope to be able to find a way to combine the expression of my Creation paintings with the more academic skills I'm currently developing.
You can read the announcement on the LDS Living Blog.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Bronze Casting Workshop
At the beginning of the month I participated in a 3 day bronze casting workshop at Historical Arts & Casting. I created a swirly, stylized acanthus leaf. It was neat to see the process from beginning to end. My results are below, as well as a list of the steps we took, in very simplified, not-so-scientific terms...
1. Create the decoration using oil based clay.
2. Pour a substance over the clay which hardens into a plastic-y material, producing a mold of the decoration. Peel the clay out of the mold.
3. Wax the mold and pour more of the plastic-y substance into the mold, creating a positive form of the decoration, matching the original clay form.
4. Impress the plastic decoration into sand, which includes a hardening agent, then remove the decoration and pour bronze into the sand mold.
5. When it cools, remove the bronze from the sand, cut off the excess bronze, and file the edges.
6. Dip the bronze decoration into a patina to achieve the desired look
7. Voila! Pretty bronze decoration.
1. Create the decoration using oil based clay.
2. Pour a substance over the clay which hardens into a plastic-y material, producing a mold of the decoration. Peel the clay out of the mold.
3. Wax the mold and pour more of the plastic-y substance into the mold, creating a positive form of the decoration, matching the original clay form.
4. Impress the plastic decoration into sand, which includes a hardening agent, then remove the decoration and pour bronze into the sand mold.
5. When it cools, remove the bronze from the sand, cut off the excess bronze, and file the edges.
6. Dip the bronze decoration into a patina to achieve the desired look
7. Voila! Pretty bronze decoration.
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| my finished bronze decoration |
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| my bronze piece before the patina |
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| This shows each step of the process from clay to bronze |
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| the sand molds ready for bronze |
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| pouring the bronze |
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| the bronze before cutting and filing |
We also visited the studio of Ed Fraughton, a very talented sculptor. I was impressed and inspired listening to his process and seeing his amazing work!
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| sculpted by Ed Fraughton |
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| Ed Fraughton discussing his work |
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| sculpted by Ed Fraughton |
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Mountain Man Comes To Life
I originally posted this drawing in October but recently asked Jeremy to come back so I could refine the drawing of his eyes a little more. It's amazing how the drawing seems to come to life, just by adding more detail! I made some other small edits too, but the eyes are the most noticeable.
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| after some refinement |
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| original drawing |
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Progression of a Portrait
Below is the progression of a recent portrait I did of my friend Jeff Muniz (not to be confused with my instructor, Jeff Hein).
I'm currently available for portrait commissions.
If you or someone you know is interested in a charcoal portrait drawing, please contact me at courtneyvv@gmail.com. I prefer to work from life (you would come to my studio and sit still while I draw you). The standard amount of time for such a portrait is about nine hours (three 3 hour sessions). It's pretty interesting seeing your face come to life on a piece of paper.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Pictures from our Art Show
Here are some pictures from The Hein Academy art show last month (November 15).
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| Jeff Hein beginning a three hour painting demonstration |
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| Jeff's final painting. Beautiful! |
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| Academy students! Emily, me, Lis and John |
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| Emily, Jenna, me and Emily 2! |
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| We were honored to enjoy music from Beaux's band, St. Boheme. Love them! |
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Art Show this Friday!
Come see what the Hein Academy of Art is all about...here's the official invite:
Jeff Hein and the Hein Academy of Art are pleased to announce our fall art event. This is no ordinary art show. It will begin at 3pm, Friday the 15th of November with a free painting demonstration by Jeff Hein (in the East Building). This will run until 6pm, at which time the art show will begin. Student work will be shown in both the east building and west building until 9pm. In the west Building Jeff's private studio will be open where a series of plein air paintings will be for sale as well as a few portraits and other works. Also Jeff will be there to explain his unique process with the works in progress around the studio. Light refreshments will be served. We hope to see you all there!
List of Exhibitors
Jeff Hein
Students
Rob Adamson
Lis Andersen
Jenna Carrington
Heidi Darley
John Darley
Skip Douglas
Tony Dupree
Sarah Hessinger
Bob Pack
Heather Rison
Courtney Vander Veur
Emily Wetterauer
Alumni
Joann Musser
Barbara Pence
Hein Academy of Art
East building, 11e 700s
West Building, 16w 700s
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
www.heinacademyofart.com
Jeff Hein and the Hein Academy of Art are pleased to announce our fall art event. This is no ordinary art show. It will begin at 3pm, Friday the 15th of November with a free painting demonstration by Jeff Hein (in the East Building). This will run until 6pm, at which time the art show will begin. Student work will be shown in both the east building and west building until 9pm. In the west Building Jeff's private studio will be open where a series of plein air paintings will be for sale as well as a few portraits and other works. Also Jeff will be there to explain his unique process with the works in progress around the studio. Light refreshments will be served. We hope to see you all there!
List of Exhibitors
Jeff Hein
Students
Rob Adamson
Lis Andersen
Jenna Carrington
Heidi Darley
John Darley
Skip Douglas
Tony Dupree
Sarah Hessinger
Bob Pack
Heather Rison
Courtney Vander Veur
Emily Wetterauer
Alumni
Joann Musser
Barbara Pence
Hein Academy of Art
East building, 11e 700s
West Building, 16w 700s
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
www.heinacademyofart.com
Monday, November 4, 2013
Huzzah!
This is the first portrait I've been able to finish in one session (4 hours), which I'm pretty excited about. I could definitely take it further, but I'm fairly satisfied with it right now and it looks like Kadee. Done and done.
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