Author: Janice on Cape Ann

A little different this time. Instead of you creating a new piece of art, look around your house or studio — which one piece is your absolute favorite, the one you would have a hard time living without. It could be a piece done by you, your kids, your favorite artist. It just has to be really important to you.

For this “Share,” you can add a few words about why it speaks to you. But try to keep it to under 50 words. Assignment due by — I like this one so much, I’ll keep it going another week — November 28. Send to RNAC.workshops@gmail.

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I was touring artists residencies in California when I met a family of potters from Jalisco, Mexico, who made beautifully unusual works. The entire family works together and was enjoying the Montalvo residency in Santa Clara. The father, Gerardo Ortega is the heir of three generations of potters and is considered a Grand Master of Mexican folk art.
I fell in love with this joy-filled car depicting Mary, Joseph and the three kings taking the happy baby Jesus out for a ride.

—Kathy Archer

Painted in 1897 in Australia by marine artist Arthur V. Gregory, it shows my sea captain great grandfather, my great grandmother, and my then 9-year-old grandfather aboard the ship Celeste Burrill. From Australia to Nova Scotia to Minnesota and now to Massachusetts, it connects me to 10 generations of mariners.

— Paul Trefry

This is a taxidermy bird I love. I’ve painted it many times. His name is Petie. Looks exactly like my childhood pet bird.

— Joyce Roessler

This is a painting by my son Kevin Magnan. He grew up around the ocean and has painted a number of seascapes, capturing many different moods. This is one of my favorites.

—Ray Magnan

I fell in love with this the minute my father brought it home. Walt’s been with me a long time, and so have my favorite lines of his:

O to be self-balanced for contingencies, 
To confront night, storms, 
hunger, ridicule, accidents, rebuffs, 
as the trees and animals do.

—Janice Brand

We’re at 25+ weeks of Art Challenge, which has been a great run. I’m sensing a lessening of enthusiasm or at least of submissions, so I’m going to ease up for a while and consider this the Fortnightly Art Challenge. It’s getting colder and there’ll be fewer options for distractions, so maybe things will pick up.

So, you’re not off the hook yet! This fortnight (two weeks), draw with white on a black surface. Simple, but powerful.

Rules are simple:

• Black & white (okay, I added some color)
• 2D or 3D
• Any surface, any medium
• Draw from direct observation preferred where possible

Deadline is November 7. Send submissions to RNAC.workshops@gmail.com. If you have some killer ideas for new Challenges, send those along too!

For this challenge, put aside your pencils and brushes. Make an image using a non-traditional drawing tool (stick, fork, your roommate’s toothbrush…). You can also use a non-traditional medium. Please identify your materials.

Otherwise, rules as usual:

• Color or black & white
• 2D or 3D
• Truly any surface, any non traditional medium

Deadline is October 24. Send your image to rnac.workshops@gmail.com. Send title, but more important this week, identify your materials.

Enlarging is a powerful visual strategy. Otherwise, we would not love Georgia O’Keefe’s work quite so much.

For this art challenge, choose a small object from nature– a seed, mushroom, cherry, shell, etc. Spend a few minutes observing the object’s details. Make an image in which the object is at least TEN times larger than the original (1 inch = 10 inches!). Don’t hesitate to let the image bleed off the edges of your surface to create interesting negative shapes.

Simple rules:

• Color or black & white
• 2D or 3D
• Any surface, any medium
• Draw from direct observation preferred where possible

Deadline is October 10. Send your image to rnac.workshops@gmail.com. Send along a title, or I’ll come up with one (and it’s sure to be wrong!).

This week’s Challenge involves removing from the surface. Scratch, scrape, sand, erase your way to an image! (Personally, I find it one of the most fun ways to attack something — break out those erasers.)

Rules are simple too:

• Color or black & white
• 2D or 3D
• Any surface, any medium
• Draw from direct observation preferred where possible

Deadline is October 3. Send your image to rnac.workshops@gmail.com. Send along a title, or I’ll come up with one (and it’s sure to be wrong!).

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Let us repeat: Repetition. Using repetition can produce a variety of effect, like movement or emphasis. It can trigger memory, create confusion or just result in an interesting composition. In this challenge use repetition repetition.

Rules are simple:

• Color or black & white
• 2D or 3D
• Any surface, any medium
• Draw from direct observation preferred where possible

Deadline for this one is September 26; send to RNAC.workshops@gmail.com. Send along a title or I’ll have to make one up.

Someone mentioned football season starting? We can do that — here’s the challenge: think wide, think panoramic format. (Okay, not the easiest thing to take a picture of, but give it a whirl.)

Rules are simple:

• Color or black & white
• 2D or 3D
• Any surface, any medium
• Draw from direct observation preferred where possible

Deadline for this one is September 19; send to RNAC.workshops@gmail.com. Send along a title or I’ll have to make one up.

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Enough summer laziness. We’re back! This week’s challenge is to merge the 2D world and the 3D world. It’s easier than you think — or not.

Rules are simple, as ever:

• Color or black & white
• 2D and 3D
• Any surface, any medium
• Draw from direct observation preferred where possible

You have until September 12 for this one. Send submissions to RNAC.workshops@gmail.com with your title or I’ll make one up!

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