Wall of Fame!
The Wall of Fame has long been a tradition in our classes. The entry fee is simply putting your name on your work after careful consideration of its completion.
Our Winter Show
It is a privilege to work year round with several artists of all ages and abilities. The pieces you see here were created by some of these talented people and I'm tremendously proud of all the accomplishments in the studio this year. All works are copyrighted by the artists named. Please be sure to click on the images to enlarge and marvel at the detail. Enjoy the show!
William
William Dollacker is on a quest to master portraiture with the fantastic results that you see here. I'm thrilled to be working with this enthusiastic and already accomplished young artist. Oh the places he will go... From left to right: 3/4 portrait based on Portrait of a Man by Messina in oil pastel and another take in gouache and fine pigments; upside down process study of a self-portrait by Gustave Courbet in charcoal; Portrait of WIlliam's Great Grandfather in graphite on toned paper; Caribbean sunset in acrylic on canvas. I can't wait to see what William conquers next!
Lily
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Lily Shahriari never ceases to amaze me with her ideas and implementation of all kinds of mediums. This year she created so many finished pieces to be proud of...From left to right: Lily at the easle mixing a green palette; Bouquet in acrylic on canvas; Floating Frog in colored pencil on toned paper; Bell Pepper in watercolor pencil; Mushroom Cloud in collage; Hot Peppers in colored pencil; Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker in colored pencil on toned paper; Woodpecker sketch in graphite; Parrot Paradise in watercolor pencil. Brava!
Gavin
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Gavin Allvine continues to create his signature Bird habitats and themes that fill the page with wonder and detail while trying out a new medium of collage painting on canvas with exciting depth. His subject of the geology of the Pikes Peak region is methodically layered and the before and after images reveal the process in action; From left to right: Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Bird Selection; Philippines Endemic Bird Selection; Random Assortment of Colorful Birds of the World; On the Road to the Mountain Rhelm: me visiting fellow CC Tiger Gavin on campus at the Colorado College this fall=Priceless!
Ellie
Ellie Wilkoff started private art lessons with me this late summer to practice her craft in painting new acrylic techniques on canvas. The painting you see here is glowing and powerful as she captures the summer pollinator garden under cumulous clouds. I'm excited to be working with this talented adult who is currently executing a large painting of an Irish landscape, please stay tuned!
enjoy a retrospective from 2023...
Gavin
It thrills me that Gavin Allvine is attending Colorado College, the alma mater that nurtured my own lifelong study of drawing and natural science. This spring, amid the flurry of graduation rituals, Gavin focused on his largest project yet, a 36 x 24" map of Birds of China commissioned by the Chinese language teacher at North Atlanta High School. He even added the Chinese characters to this work for a full immersion piece that will be proudly displayed and studied by students in the program; a lasting legacy of Gavin's original ideas. This summer, he embarked on another commission with an African theme and completed many works before heading to CC. What an honor to be the art teacher of this extraordinary young man! From left to right: commission of White Helmetshrike (long-crested) in its African habitat, acrylic on canvas: Sloth and Costa Rican birds (collaboration with Addison Allvine); Pelagic panorama in water color pencil; Birds of China using Gavin's signature methodology; Toxicity, which illustrates various venemous and poisonous organisms of the world--how many can you spot? and Birds of Costa Rica, based on Gavin's personal experiences there, all in colored pencil.
Camilla
Camilla Tuman attends the Queenswood School for Girls in the United Kingdom. As a fitting tribute to her roots, Camilla completed this commission called Royal Muck (based on a paint color she invented) and her mother's love for the late Queen. She decoupaged an original newspaper from 1965 on the day that Winston Churchill was laid to rest, cutting out the various parts of the paper that tell this fascinating story. Then, transparent paints were applied in the correct Union Jack design (math skills were applied!) and finally a stencil of the Queen with silver accents for a posh yet poignant work of Art to treasure. How I will miss this incredibly creative artist, yet my heart sings that she is in a terrific place!
Back in her eighth grade year, Camilla planned and created a detailed Look Book full of her beloved fashion designs and inspirations. The result is a rainbow of hues and textures in intricate watercolor and mixed media. Very fitting for an artist who lives for color, works hard on her creations and always keeps us laughing with her contagious sense of humor! From left to right: A sample of the rainbow of fashion designs; still life, figure drawings and paintings in mixed media; and "not radioactive" peppers.
Lily
This summer and fall, Lily Shahriari is trying new mediums for her 4th grade year including these thoughtful mixed media portraits of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird and River Otter (what textures!), rain drop studies and a civilization map. Stay tuned for more! Lily worked on so many fantastic mediums and honed her drawing skills last spring. From her 3-D winter landscape to her sketch book full of drawing techniques and experiments with mixed media, she shines with creativity and originality. I'm incredibly proud of the balance Lily has found in her work between realism and whimsy and can't wait to see what she creates next! From left to right: process of creating a 3-D winter snow scene; string painting; still life drawing in three primary colors; sketching from models, flower pigment painting; drawing faces; collage time at the outdoor art table.
Lauren
I’m thrilled that Lauren Turpin could spend a couple days in the studio at the end of her incredible summer adventures! She has big plans for contining her already prolific mural work and will be entering the Mattie Kelly Arts Festival in Destin, Florida on October 28th. To build her inventory, she started this triptych using a cool neutral tint and cornstarch layering technique. The results are tangibly rich and vibrant! Stay tuned for more gems from this accomplished artist to watch...
Alice and Mary Grace
Our summer tradition of enjoying a couple art mornings before going back to school involved a wedding theme this year. Mary Grace and Alice Kane decorated tiny cakes, designed gowns, flowers, and watercolored & collaged their ultimate destinations. The results are sparkly and sublime!
Natalie
Natalie Benifield has a gift for compostion and color. During a month of her fourth grade year, we worked on perspective studies and explored new medium choices which Natalie approached with thoughtful planning and fun twists on classic subjects. She is an illustrator who enjoys telling a story with her art and I'm excited to see where she will take us next... From left to right: illustrating cats and a fish using models; cat in gelly roll pen on black paper; illustrated living room in watercolor process using neutral tint and perspective studies.
Alyssa
Alyssa Cane returned to enjoy an afternoon of outside art with me and created this terrific sea scape using acrylic and shells on canvas. Her wave on beach technique is tidal! Alyssa also draws animals with such personality, like this wonderful gesture drawing of a cat. I enjoy how confident she is when she knows a piece is finished, something many of us struggle to do. Nice work!
Mary
With junior year of high school being the busiest (possibly of our lives), I was thrilled that Mary Woody could take some time out for a check in at the studio where she drew these fantastic portrait sketches! I am always in awe of Mary's raw talent and perspective and it's an honor to have worked with her since she was five years old when her talent was just blossoming. Look out world...