pain relief and amazing art therapy. (Tree no. 3 Oils)

Last night I was teaching a student a new way of drawing, which was the compltete opposite to the way he had drawn before. He has attended for a couple of months, doing mainly water colour, so he had previous experience of my classes. This new way of drawing and looking at things felt alien at first, but he persevered, while I made the exercises progressively harder and harder. He totally understood what he was doing and was fully absorbed in the process - it takes a lot of concentration and I sometimes joke about how tense and still everyone is while doing this. What amazed me though was what he said at the end of the session, when I asked what he thought of the new drawing process. After expressing his awe and delight with his progress, he told me something shocking. He said that he suffers from reumatism and can't normally sit for longer than half an hour without pain, so has to move around frequently. I was really surprised to hear this, for at my house, he sits for up to 3 hours at a time. He said when he is here, he is so focused on what he is doing, that he has no pain.

How amazing is that? 

Then another student backed this up saying that during one of the sessions he'd had a migraine but that he decided to work through it. He became aware that while concentrating on the painting and its difficulties and challenges, his pain was clearly being masked, until he was driving home afterwards. 

I have long been suggesting that doctors ought to prescribe drawing classes (by that, I mean challenging classes, the ones that feel hard, so you're really learning!) because of the mental break it gives from other things in busy, stressed lives. A couple of my GP students have agreed. But this is the first time I have been made aware that students have relief from pain while drawing - perhaps its that the pain is transferred to the difficulty of the task. Whatever the reason, it seems that creative focus is not only important for mental health, but physical health too. 

Below is my third tree painting in oils - I relaized whn I posted number 4 that I hadn't put up number 3. 10in x 10in. 

next up - Water colour workshop, Portrait workshop, Illustration Workshop, Oils and portraits. 

email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk for info.

Tree number 4, Oils on board, 10 in x 12 in.

Today I finished a painting. Its always a Good Feeling, to finish. Especially one of these, which is a bit mind-bending.

What I am trying to capture is the light. Very difficult, very addictive. Here are a couple of close-ups.

Portfolio drawing, Belfast

Well, I think I may have Seen It All now. This week I have had Tina, a student from Wicklow with me, working for her art portfolio. She has been joined on and off by my weekly students (including Kathy, visiting from America, via Aberdeen), doing their water colours. The conversation round the desk has been, she says, an Education..!! Yes, it's not just about art, is it ladies?!

Today she was looking for unusual viewpoints for her drawings, and eventually I found her... here.

When she came downstairs later, she sheepishly admitted that it was so comfy in there that she'd fallen asleep! Admittedly, this is after 4 long days and evenings working hard, including an evening spent drawing an orchestra rehearsal in St Anne's Cathedral. Really good fun.

It's hard work doing the intensive portfolio course, it's a bit of a lock-in, with the odd walk on the (delicious) shore for fresh air and photos, before getting back to the drawing board. 

And the word-of-the-week has been Unbelievable. It's lovely when a student is so enthusiastic that everything is a thumbs-up unbeLIEVable.. 

Next up - art for teenagers, drawing for GCSE and A level, and Water Colour Workshop.

Email: julie@juliedouglas.co.uk   for info

location location... (Drawing, Illustration and Design)

Another look at tone and all the lovely qualities of observing light, without using colour. Nothing improves your colour awareness more than not using it..

                   Charcoal study, by Julie Douglas.

Recently I attended some talks at the Art College and took my evening class along to one of them. Afterwards we headed round the corner and did some speed drawing and Thinking Exercises in the foyer of a hotel. It makes a good change to work away from our usual environment, and everyone enjoyed the experience (even if it only made them happier to get back to the studio this week...!).

Upcoming courses - Portfolio Preparation, Water Colour workshop, Art for Teenagers and GCSE back-up, Oils Workshop and Portrait Drawing, as well as Distance Learning all year round.

Email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk for details.

the art of letting go, or mapping for treasure.

Letting go of the end. That's a harder task than it sounds. We are so end-loooking, or even end-demanding,  that sometimes we forget that most of the time is spent in the getting there, rather than the end itself. And that the end is when we simply... start the next drawing. So we need to really love the getting there, as that is where most of the time is spent. Recently I had an excellent student spend a couple of days with me for a Masterclass, and even though she is an accomplished painter already, all of us benefit from spending time with a creative Other to have our batteries recharged, be offered a slightly different perspective, and to take the odd dare. Or two.

Colette, I found, was fearless, her attitude was, aw yeah! Her drawings were stunning and her new path is begun. Hooray!

Lovely studies by C. Clail, student.

If we think about it as a path on a treasure map. There are many paths, and when we find a good route, sometimes after trying a few dead ends or some that get us nearly there but not quite, we find the better way knowing all the while that there is treasure at the end. The journey is where we are putting that treasure INTO the chest. By the time we reach it, we realize that we made all of it, as we travelled to get there.

Next Up - water colour workshop, Big Drawing Day, and Portrait workshop.
 email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk for info

Drawing on Location

 There's nothing quite like having a change of venue to put new things into the creative mix. Recently I took my morning girls to draw in the City Hall, which was a great experience for all, including hearing the guided tour 3 times - on the third time, the guide actually mentioned us in the speech, so perhaps we've become part of the local history already..! (or another tourist attraction?)

Drawing in the Rotunda, a very grand location.
To begin with, students were a bit daunted, especially being so visible to tourists, but they settled down and did some lovely drawings.

                                    A wonderful tonal study by G. Bunting, student (above).

                             Student drawing, D.Gallagher (above), D.Morgan (below)

Deirdre working away, above. 

I don't know what they put in the coffee (great coffee shop..) but on the way back to our drawing boards after a break, we all got VERY excited about the light flooding in from the stained glass windows, really beautiful!

Next up - Portrait workshops, Portfolio course, Big Drawing days and drawing and water colour workshops. Email for info. julie@juliedouglas.co.uk

Also, Distance Learning programme available all year round. 

A Story of Portfolio, Passion and Power, from grey to rainbow.

Once upon a time there lived a boy in a small, grey village in the West of Ireland. And although the one street was plain and uninspiring, the people were kind. The boy loved art. When he turned 16 he came to my drawing classes and was so enthusiastic that he could hardly sit still, amongst the adults around him. He tried - for an hour he would clip his wings and do what I asked, then he would fidgit and jiggle and ask questions about different artists... And while he was immature and unworldly because he was young, his enthusiasm was honest and was a little spark in the grey surrounding him. Each month that went by saw him settle for longer at a time as he learned to become deliciously engrossed in his work, and as he improved, his self-criticism grew too. The better he got, the less sure he became. But he was sure of one thing above all others - he wanted to go to London. So when it came time to apply, I dared him only to apply to London, for his work was worthy, his spark was brightening all the time. My concern was that if he applied nearer home that he would lose his nerve and never leave the grey village and be sorry for ever. So he only applied to London, and when all around him were getting offers in Ireland, his nerves grew. His wait seemed never ending, until FINALLY, he heard. And I got the email saying, I GOT IN!!!!

this drawing took ALL DAY... By A.C.

Just before leaving Ireland...last drawing, of a chicken!

That was last year. In September, stomach churning with fear and desire both, he headed to Camberwell, the University of The Arts, London. The first couple of weeks I got regular updates, as he settled and fretted and was OVERWHELMED by the colour, after growing up in the grey. He met students from all over the world, he found a job in a Chocolatier in Bond Street. I had to tell him that in England they don't say Pants, they say Trousers (an important distinction) and he soaked his experiences in like a sponge. His enthusiasm never waned, it grew even bigger. And he surprised me when he told me that he had chosen Fashion as his discipline - and the value of a core, foundation year shone through once again. In January he had to apply for Fashion - a very competitive choice - and he chose several London based colleges as well as Europe. His main choice, his biggest dream, based on what he had seen there, was St Martins in London. He had interviews everywhere and was offered places from each one. But St Martins have 6000 applicants from all around the world for 130 places. The boy had selected, of all the areas, Womanswear, so 2000 applicants, for 50 places, 25 for non-European students, and 25 for European. Tricky. But you have to dream.

Page from his sketch book

He called me (this is unheard of, for students never have any credit) after dropping his portfolio at St Martins - he was so excited he could hardly speak, and at the same time, couldn't get the words out fast enough. He said that lots of people were there and left their portfolio's for inspection, and that St Martin's didn't do interviews (with 6000 applicants, who'd blame them..?!) and he was amazed to hear his name called out, and the head of course brought him into his office to chat to him. What could it mean, he asked? Well, it's a great sign, I said. And then the nail biting waiting began again, and each offer from the other excellent colleges were 'pleasing', but St Martin's, St Martin's...

So this morning I got a text at 6am. Not my favourite hour... I fumbled for the phone, and read the words - Unconditional offer St Martins. And so began an hour long text-fest, him on cloud I-Can't-Believe-It, me on cloud, Oh-Yes-I-Can!!! After a bit I got upset and told him I was so happy I was crying. And he said - Don't cry, you'll be coming to my final year graduate show:)

I sure will. (he'll be making my outfit, obviously..!)

Today, the boy will be floating on air and the grey village will know that his multicoloured journey has taken on a new and wonderful momentum. He is full of gratitude and amazement. I am full of joy and wonder.

a college 3-d piece

The moral of this story is so important. They say that the future of the world will progress through art and creative thinking, that it is the creative thinkers who will be most saught after. So if you want to do art or your children are leaning that way, don't worry. Allow them - allow them to follow their dream, for if we don't have dreams, they can't come true. The creative path is so exciting and rewarding, and if it calls you, nothing else will do. It's a multi coloured rainbow of a world. The greatest gift this boy had was Enthusiasm, and the willingness to dream BIG.

The boy's name is Andrew. And already, he is a Star!

Portrait drawing workshop

Here are some of my demonstration drawings from portrait workshops. I love drawing faces. They're all so different, and yet...the same!

My next Portrait Workshop runs this weekend in Belfast. Email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk for info.

Coconut Square, Oils, 8in x 8in on Board. And a portrait workshop.

Oh yes, another sweet treat.

The thing is, I don't even eat these. I am purely attracted to them on a visual level - does that make me shallow?!! I can't help it. And still to come, is the jam-filled cream-topped scone, the strawberry-and-shortbread creamy stack, and the coffee slice. Oh joy.
This particualr painting has been on and off for a while, and is waiting for a final layer to make me satisfied. In the meantime I have started another painting of trees, which is infinitely more difficult - from treat to tree. Delicious.

Next up - BYOB class (Yes, this is the best fun!), weekly drawing and painting classes in Belfast and PORTRAIT WORKSHOP. Email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk for details.

Tied up in knots - cloth drawings, pencil on toned paper.

One of the most difficult things about photographing any of my students working, I notice, is that the table is so covered in coffee cups..

  Recently I asked them to draw cloth - this is a difficult subject, but so important for when drawing the clothed figure. Drawing the cloth without the figure is a kinder place to start. It is also, once you get used to the initial horror-feelings, almost meditative to do. This is a landmark subject matter - once you tackle this, you know you can do Anything...

(It is really difficult to photograph pencil work, and some of these were at night, so sorry about the quality). Graphite and white pencil on toned paper. 

These are stunning drawings (above is by Phillippa, below is by Brian, both of whom have only attended 4 lessons!). The end result doesn't show their total fear of the subject, or the determination to see it through, but it was there. Great work.

Above, by student John McI. Below Jayne McC. (Jayne's photo was taken in the daytime, which is why it is clearer!)

And finally, below, my own drawing. I don't always get to participate in the class, but this time I couldn't resist, and sat up long after everyone had gone to finish it. The upside of joining in is that I remember how difficult it is, and occassionally feel a little bit guilty... but then, I get over it!

Next up, portrait workshop. Email for info julie@juliedouglas.co.uk