TRAC2012

It's been a couple of weeks since attending The Representational Art Conference in Ventura, CA, and I find myself pouring over websites, and honing my drawing skills, and staying in contact with other artists from the U.S. and around the world.

I still feel a sense of growing momentum in the representational art movement. Some of the artists presented exceptional realistic art, like Sadie Valeri who was on a panel and also a demonstration artist; while others, like John Seed, who writes for the Huffington Post, presented three artist who painted figures that were abstracted in one way or another. Jed Pearl gave the opening address, and John Nava gave the closing talk. 

I'm encouraged that the academic knowledge and techniques were not lost to us in the USA. While most colleges and universities choose not to teach the knowledge and skills of past centuries (partly because the teachers themselves never received an academic education in art, and partly because they are pushing conceptual contemporary art and are afraid that knowledge will hamper the student's creativity (academic training didn't hamper Picasso or Matisse); there are still a few institutions and ateliers (a-til-iyay) (teaching studios) where it is still taught.

I recommend finding a school or atelier and take classes. And fortunately, there are very good resources for those of us who need to study on the side. A few resources I highly recommend Patrick Connors' "The Artist's Guide to Perspective" (you can get a taste on YouTube). Perspective isn't just for landscapes–it's used drawing anything three-dimensional–like figures. Also Juliette Aristides' "Lessons in classical Drawing: Essential Techniques from Inside the Atelier" (includes DVD) and companion book, "Classical Drawing Atelier." I am working my way through these myself, and dedicating studio time to drawing in addition to my sculpting.