I was a giddy groupie so excited to be in a class with THE Jane Davenport in Seattle. It was Jane, right there.
The Universe wanted me to be here. I was able to use my frequent flyer miles to fly first class to Seattle. Let the pampering begin! I was able to spend an extra day in Seattle exploring the city. The Underground tour, the harbor just a block away, the art on buildings, fun statues in Fremont, Pike Place Market, and more! Seattle is a beautiful town with a fantastic sense of humor (just check out the statue that is dressed for someone’s birthday).
Jane’s class was what I needed. I have tried several face drawing classes but I didn’t feel I had any face skills. Can’t say that anymore! Since I am an elementary school teacher I am very aware of instructors with or without teaching skills. Jane has teaching skills and patience (she really needed that with all of my blank stares and repetitive questions). She was able to take what she had learned and break it into pieces I could understand.
She took the complex and made it doable. Mind you, she did not manage to pass on her many years of practice, formal training, and work experience as professional fashion illustrator in just one weekend. Turns out I am going to have to practice if I want face drawing to be effortless. She gave me a wonderful foundation so that as I practice drawing faces I can strengthen my skills and create the faces I want in time.
It wasn’t until I was in the airport that I began to fully appreciate her teaching style. She had imparted step by step how-to information. That much I knew. But she also imparted many of the “whys”. The “whys” are very important when you are stuck. If you know the “whys” you can fix your mistakes. In the airport I filled a page with circles and started filling each with a face. Some were great, some hideous. The hideous ones I worked on fixing since I had the principles behind them so I could improve them. Apparently, hair is not that important to me since I don’t seem very interested in drawing that…
Jane has several on-line courses. I had started her I Heart Drawing class before I went to Seattle. That class is about figure drawing – and I finally have some confidence drawing something other than a stick figure! She has new class starting soon, Joynal and I can’t wait for it to start!
Need a pick me up on Mondays? There are 2 great places to soak up happiness – Creative Every Day and Inspire Me Mondays. Creative Every Day is filled all week long with beautiful blogs to visit. I recently found Inspire Me Mondays and I love that it is filled with all types of creativity- from painting to cooking to decorating to stamping and more. Check them both out if you have a moment.
Heh Carolyn! It was so nice meeting you- it was a fun 3 days- went past in a blur!
Love that photo of us!!
Xoxox
Jane
faces are not easy and you have made a brilliant start:)
xx
I love your fabulous faces and my, both you and Jane are so happy and photogenic in that photo! What a happy and inspiring post this is – I will have to check out those classes – I have never quite gotten past stick figures 101! 🙂
Congrats on being featured and have a wonderful week! 🙂
Its so nice, not just nice, totally ARTISTIC..no doubt..Love it..
OK, I’m totally jealous over here! 😉 Wonderful faces!!!! =D
Well aren’t YOU the lucky camper. Sounds like an awesome weekend as well as a wonderful workshop. Love that photo, even though I had never heard of Jane Davenport before your post.
As for the faces, I am in AWE. I have never been able to draw, so I always appreciate those who can. Way to go, although I suspect you had lots of hidden talent prior to taking the class.
Awesome! What a fantastic treat! Cool faces and wonderful views.
Carolyn ~ Wow! What an excellent weekend you had ~ and sooooo creative ~ love your photos, your creations and that you had fun! ~namaste, carol (A Creative Harbor)
Look at you!!!! Your drawing faces!!! That picture of you and Jane is beautiful. Not posed just pure happiness on both sides! Love the tape portrait!!
Faces remain my proverbial final frontier! I just adore all this inspiration! I like the page with all the pencil-sketched faces … oh-so welcoming. The simplicity nudges me to believe I can do this, too! 😉
Your faces look beautiful, Carolyn! I really love the colourful ones, such great expressions you captured. I agree, drawing faces can be frustrating, but also very rewarding if one doesn’t give up but just practise. This reminds me that I haven’t done one in weeks. I once spent a week in Seattle almost 20 years ago, at the end of a 4 months trip along the coast, from California to Canada. It was one of my favourite places of the trip.
What fun–looks like an awesome trip! Great job on the portrait and the faces–I like all the different expressions you’ve captured 🙂
What a fabulous experience!! And that first piece you posted is FANTASTIC! Seattle sounds like it was such a great place… I’m trying not to be too jealous here. 😉
Good for you! Oh, and what a great way to practice faces… who needs hair?! xoxo
Lucky you! sounds like you had a lovely time. Seattle is a really beautiful place to visit and to do an art workshop there, how fun! Your faces look fantastic.
Wonderful faces! I’ll certainly have to check out Jane’s classes. Thanks for sharing!
Hello Carolyn, your faces are looking great! Your on your way there, it’s great to just keep at it, sketch, paint, keep getting inspired. Have a great week Carolyn and thanks for visiting over at dreamcolour! xx
lucky lucky you! I took Jane’s on-line “supplies me” class and learned so much about faces just from her videos – I can only imagine what an in-person intensive class would do. and you were in my all-time favorite city (I was lucky enough to call it home for 6 years in the 90’s and I miss it terribly). your faces are looking great!
Love that photo of the two of you!! Sounds like a wonderful time where you learned a lot. I admire anybody who can draw faces, people, or animals. Great job! 🙂
What a great post Carolyn, the faces and the photographs are all wonderful. Sounds like you had a wonderful time and your artwork is definitely moving up to another level of achievement now.
Big love
AJ
It sounds like a perfect weekend and you look so happy in your picture. Isn’t it wonderful when you know you are working with a great teacher? They make learning so much fun!
Your faces are great. Thank you for another inspiring post.
What wonderful faces! All are so expressive and different from one another. Makes it interesting to take the time to look at each one. Sounds like a great class led by an inspiring and patient teacher.