Excited to announce that I’ll be teaching an online figure drawing class with Studio Escalier (the Summer class is wrapping up, but there is still an Autumn section beginning on September 13). It was unfortunate that my Paris class was canceled this summer (due to obvious reasons), but this opportunity is an alternative I’m looking forward to. For more information and registration regarding the class, follow this link or contact me with any questions you might have.
Half way there
(plenty of work for sale) http://www.mtobiashall.com/100-landscapes-1
I’m halfway through my 100 Landscapes project - basically, something I’ve been doing on the side… an excuse to spend time meditating on this awe inspiring Land of Enchantment. I was hoping that I’d be able to do a number of studies from France this summer as well, but I guess the global pandemic had other plans. For now, I’ll keep chipping away at these quick sketches and savoring the fresh high desert air. I’m not sure if, or how, the project will evolve over the next months (I’m definitely feeling an urge to work bigger and to take some of the landscapes further). Regardless, I’ll continue to updated my progress.
(For those of you who have already bought a piece, I should be getting some aluminum panels so I can mount the paintings soon - thanks for your patience with me!)
Turbulence (Part 2)
I’m happy to say that the Turbulence Project raised over $1000, and the proceeds have been donated to various organizations that are fighting to end racism and to lift us all through awareness, community and activism:
Black Lives Matter
Black Visions Collective
NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
NAACPLDF (NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund)
G.L.I.T.S (Gays and Lesbians Living In a Transgender Society)
Advancement Project
Campaign Zero/We the Protestors
Black Table Arts
ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)
Sybrina Fulton Campaign
But it goes without saying that this fight for a better and more just world will take a lot more of our collective awareness and action. With conscious effort, we can all engage and contribute to a more beautiful whole.
I will leave the project open, painting and posting clouds from time to time in honor of all who continue to face racism, discrimination, and violent injustice on a daily basis.
My most sincere thanks to those of you that helped me raise the funds and also to those of you who are making an effort for positive cultural evolution.
Turbulence
In the studio, my teachers pushed me to acknowledge my weaknesses and to work on them - to forge them into strengths. It’s obvious that we have been collectively torn open over the past weeks with the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. We are a culture severely struggling to come to terms with the reality of this tragic rhythm of senseless violence and racism. We should be and can be better than this.
Now is the time for us to be aware & educated. It’s an opportunity for us to engage with compassion and empathy. We are all capable of contributing in some form to realize our potential strengths - in the global community and as individuals.
Over the next week, I will be painting a series of clouds to honor the memory of George, Ahmaud, Breonna - just to name a few of the many recent victims - and the countless others who face racism on a daily basis. Each 5” x 5” painting will be for sale at $100 (plus shipping cost), and all of the proceeds will be donated to support the Victims, the Protestors, and other Organizations. If you do participate by buying a painting, you can help me choose the destination of your donation (see Black Lives Matter for a full list of options).
I will post images of the cloud paintings - on Instagram (@mtobiashall) & here on my site - as the week unfurls. Please don’t hesitate to message me if you have any questions.
Regardless of your participation, I truly hope that everyone of us will engage in this moment with educated awareness, and compassionate effort.
Online Mentorship
Given our current climate of lockdown and social distancing, I thought I would open up a channel for private painting & drawing lessons through online mentorship, instruction and critique. Each of us is on a different part of the creative path, so each session would be customizable to meet the desired goals of the individual artist.
This is an opportunity to get personal feedback on work in progress, or to discuss drawing/painting conceptual strategies and exercises that could strengthen your own artistic practice (i.e. light & form, movement, perspective, composition)
Prior to meeting, images to be uploaded via Dropbox
Meetings to be conducted through the Zoom video conferencing application
$75/single hour session or $325 for a set of five hourly sessions (at $65/session)
Register via my Online Mentorship page
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions regarding mentorship and scheduling. I hope to work with you!
NYC
Entering into March, I had the pleasure of participating in a drawing competition at the Salmagundi Club in NYC. It was such a brief weekend, but an absolute joy to go draw with a number of incredible artists. I was lucky enough to take 3rd place in the competition. My most sincere congratulations to Dan Thompson (1st) and to Tyler Berry (2nd) for their beautiful drawings and well deserved honors. I extend my congratulations to all the participants as well - some old friends, some new ones.
(I hope to be able to find more excuses to visit New York soon)
Spring 2020 in Santa Fe
Some recent teaching/workshop developments in Santa Fe:
Evening Sessions (at the Ryder Studio) - Tuesdays & Wednesdays (6-9pm)
- Paint or draw one figure pose over a four week block (8 sessions total)
- Includes instructor demonstrations and one on one feedback
- Dates: Feb 18,19,25,26, Mar 3,4,10,11
- $350 for 8 sessions | $55 per class
Spring Figure Painting (at the Ryder Studio) - March 16-20 (9:30am - 5 pm)
- Week long figure painting intensive
- Includes instructor demonstrations and one on one feedback
- $450
More information & registration on my workshops page.
Summer is Coming
It’s already time to register for my figure drawing program in Paris. Instead of two three week sections (as was scheduled in previous summers), I will be teaching one four week intensive workshop.
Session dates are July 27 - August 21 2020
Application deadline of March 1st is approaching quickly!
More information and the online application can be found at Studioescalier.com.
A (Small) 2020 Project
As a small side project for 2020, I thought I’d challenge myself by making a commitment to doing 100 landscape painting sketches. Painting outdoors has become a favorite part of my overall painting practice over the past year, and I’ve noticed that its slightly more visceral and spontaneous requirements have positively affected other aspects of my creative experience.
As further incentive, I thought I’d make the studies available to purchase here on my website. I’d like to keep the paintings as consistent as possible (oil on linen, mounted on panel, 5”x7”ish, $250 ($2020 seemed a bit much) + tax & shipping).
Another thought I had was that a painting could be bought in advance (I’ll be numbering each of the 100 paintings, so for instance, some adventurous spirit might want to call dibs on #47 prior to my painting it. I’ve seen this done before on other blogs/websites… and I really like the idea).
It will be fun to see what happens… I should get to work.
Happy New Year!
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Figure Painting in Santa Fe, NM | 2020
Excited to announce that I’ll be starting off the new year by teaching a figure painting workshop at the Ryder Studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The two week class will run from January 6-17. More information about the class and registration can be found in my Workshops page. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have more questions!
I Heart NY
Last night in NYC. I’m so fortunate to have been able to spend four wonderful years here. I depart filled with gratitude for every moment - this experience will surely continue to resonate throughout the future chapters of my life.
It’s difficult to walk away, but I’m thrilled for what is next (…and a little time in France will soften the blow).
Studio Escalier - Summer figure drawing in Paris | Registration deadline extended
Just a quick post to further promote my summer 2019 Studio Escalier figure drawing class) in Paris. The application and course information can be found online at Studioescalier.com. Let me know if you have questions.
6-week Program: 15 July – 23 August 2019
Section One: 15 July – 2 August 2019
Section Two: 5 August – 23 August 2019
Registration is open until the remaining seats fill.
Fresh Air
Since this past summer, I’ve really gotten into painting outdoors. After spending a number of introspective winter months working on a relatively big studio project, I needed a change of pace - something quick and visceral. These numerous rapid sketches have become a truly joyful part of my practice.
…and I’d like to begin selling them, as well. Soon, I’ll have a page up of select works for sale through this site. For now, more painting to do.
Santa Fe
Had a wonderful figure painting workshop at The Ryder Studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico - a really great way to begin the new year. Our model Arzélie was incredibly inspiring and the students were a joy to work with. Many thanks to each and all who were a part of this experience.
I hope to have a few more workshops in the meantime, but on the horizon is my Summer in Paris figure drawing class(es) with Studio Escalier - Info & application is online (Priority deadline is February 1st).
En Garde
I recently had the incredible privilege to spend time painting a suit of armor that I’ve long admired at the Met. I did a drawing of the set last year (a study for a project idea that I’d like to realize one day), not knowing that I’d get the opportunity to paint from it as well. It’s exciting to have been able to study this from life. My thanks to the Met’s Copyist Program & the Department of Arms and Armor for being on board with this quest.
(Of course… I could have used some more time)
Encore - Studio Escalier
I’m always thrilled to announce my Studio Escalier Summer Drawing program! This year, the dates of the full six week term/two 3-week sections run from July 15-August- 23, 2019.
More information and registration details can be found here at the Studio Escalier website.
*Priority registration deadline is December 1, 2018*
Philly - Studio Incamminati
Beginning in January, I’ll be teaching a weekly Thursday evening figure drawing class at Studio Incamminati as part of their continuing education program.
Course Description: By employing a variety of strategies while working from the model, students deepen their perceptual awareness and strengthen their technical abilities. Class demonstrations and exercises explore ideas of movement/gesture, abstract shape, light, organic form, perspective and the structural organization of the body. The combination of these conceptual perspectives will ultimately equip students with a multifaceted figure drawing practice.
More details can be found here at the Studio Incamminati website.
New Year Figure Painting Intensive in New Mexico
I’m excited to offer a figure painting intensive course in Santa Fe at the start of 2019.
Course description: This nine day workshop offers students an opportunity to paint the figure from direct observation. There will be one continuous pose throughout the course, allowing for the necessary time to explore the numerous facets of a perceptual painting process (strategies regarding composition, drawing, light and form). Ultimately, this highly intensive workshop is meant to be customizable in the sense that each student will be encouraged to challenge themselves by finding new depth in their own artistic practice. Instructor demonstrations and daily individual feedback will support the student’s engagement with their work.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me through this site if you have any specific questions regarding the workshop.
Location: The Ryder Studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
9 Days (9:30am - 5pm)
Wednesday January 2, 2019 - Saturday January 5
Monday January 7 - Friday January 11
Enrollment deadline Friday December 14, 2018
Registration & Course info
A Work in Progress
In the Spring I was interviewed by Milene Fernandez of the Epoch Times. I’m a bit late, but I am certainly proud to post a link to her thoughtful article that was published over the summer. It was an incredible experience - an opportunity for me to share and connect… to try and begin to articulate the relationship I have with my creative practice. So much gratitude to Milene and to any of you who are interested in taking a look!
Pop!
In March 2016, I was extremely fortunate to participate in a project conceived of by British conceptual artist Jeremy Deller. Teaming up with the Brooklyn Museum, Deller invited a group of draftsmen/women to draw rock icon Iggy Pop. The project exhibition, a celebration of the male figure in art, opened at the Brooklyn Museum in November and will run until the end of March 2017. Read more about it in The New York Times!