After acquiring some finer tips on skin-care and make-up and then learning to bake hokkaido cupcakes. The next SMB is 1 activity brought us to a place where the SMBs can cultivate their creativity with an art workshop at HeART Studio.
Two separate sessions were held at the studio. The weekday session provided the opportunity to create our own versions of Van Gogh ‘Sunflowers’ with acrylic paints on canvas. While the weekend session took Claude Pissarro’s ‘Harbour Scene’ or ‘Le chateau des seigneurs d’estaing a bort-les-orgues’ as an inspiration to create our own art pieces with pastels on canvas.
If you were to compare the Van Gogh vs Claude Pissarro pictures visually, the latter looks relatively simple compared to the former, isn’t it? At a glance, it may look simpler to create, but it isn’t. Acrylics and Pastels are very different mediums, and from a freshie’s perspective, I can tell you both mediums are tough to manage.
I was rather nervous to have to deal with acrylic paints for the second-time round, despite being given much better quality acrylic paints from HeART studio. The previous experience I had with acrylics (which dried up too quickly on the paint palette) was with a separate group of ladies from SMB at an ‘art jamming’ session at Arteastique. The only ‘jam’ that I experienced was with my art piece, which turned out to be a mash of colors and lines on canvas.
So it helped that the teacher Gaz, from HeART Studio provided clear guidance as we slowly worked our way in creating our art pieces in 2 hours. What was really uncharacteristic during that 2 hours, was that in a room of chatty ladies, we were so silent and focused while we worked on our individual pieces.
Spot the one who is the ‘expert’ amongst the amateurs…can you see graduated colors on her artwork, while the rest of us were only good with creating 2D vases
While, in the other room, all hard at work…after being a little distracted at the beginning of the session.
Then on Sunday. Everyone in the room quickly got to work on their ‘oil pastel on canvas Claude Pissaro’ pieces as we only had 1.5 hours for the class.
All looking like they were on their test papers with their serious and focused expressions
So the educators have said, that in art, the process matters more than the product. All I can remember during the process are tired hands and stiff shoulders, it didn’t feel very therapeutic at both times. And for any, almost every adult, the product still matters at the end, no matter what they say about the process. So what is the product after both sessions at HeART Studio?
1. Mutant Sunflowers with no stems, over-fed on Fertilizers
My overgrown sunflowers and Teacher Gaz
2. Collapsing Sails in Harbour with Strange Reflection (not Jen’s! Referring to my art piece.)
Jen’s beautiful piece next to my haphazard harbor piece
After both sessions this week at HeART Studio, I walk away with renewed respect for my little boy who is way better at managing both mediums with his art pieces.
Weekday Acrylic Paint on Canvas session : Evelyn, Lyndis, Justina, Irene, Dominique, Adeline, Regina, Me, Alicia, Pamela and Donna
Sunday Pastels on Canvas session : Delphine, Serene, Jolin, Wai Wai, Angeline Ng, Madeline, Me, Jennifer, Cherie, Ling Siew and Angeline Sim
HeART Studio offers Adult Canvas classes, over 6 lessons to complete a large canvas piece. All u need is to find a friend to join you at an Adult Canvas class and HeART will start a new class. Or you could sign up your kids for HeART if they are between 3-12 years of age, especially if they show some interest in Art. I can assure your child will not be getting ‘I-cannot-figure-what-this-is’ type of open-ended outcomes from the classes, rather, fine art pieces that will impress you + extremely apt to be gifted to relatives. Do visit HeART Studio’s website for more information on the classes available for kids.
So what other outcome have resulted after my 2 sessions the past week?
Top – My art piece, Bottom – K’s art piece. I think my kid’s art is way better than mine
I think I badly need art lessons.
So I will be signing up for an adult canvas class with HeART Studio and work towards creating my first more decent-looking piece of art. So while K has his art lesson, this sucker-for-punishment will plan to have her art class in the other room.
I think art can only be therapeutic for me when I have a certain level of mastery with the basic techniques. So art lessons here I come!
