Monumental Drawing / Painting Workshop with Chris Valle
This 3-day workshop will challenge participants to work on a large scale. Drawing large allows you to get your whole body involved in the action of making marks, rather than just your hand. The large scale also makes the small intricate details (that would normally be tough to work with) larger, so it is easier to see, and you are able to get charcoal sticks and your fingers in those places. This workshop will engage the participants in contemporary approaches to combining drawing and painting; it will surely add excitement to your drawings. Once you work this large, you will not want to work small again.
Workshop Schedule:
Day 1: Introduction and demonstration on working with charcoal (the various types and how to utilize them) and acrylic washes, including a presentation and demonstration on how to use a grid system. Specific instruction and demonstration will focus on blending edges and using tools such as blending stumps and chamois, as well as using erasers as a drawing tool, not just to erase.
Day 2: Participants will bring several photos of cultural icons, such as a President, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, etc. that they might want to draw—or a self-portrait is an option. Make sure that you select an image that has a high resolution (30k or higher), and it must have a wide range of value. Participants will translate an 8” x 6” photograph onto the 8ft x 6ft vinyl. You will then create the work seamlessly combining both drawing and painting. Collage elements may be used, however, are not required. You will utilize watered-down acrylic paint prior to using charcoal. Presentation on previous student works, including step-by-step photos to illustrate the development in process.
Day 3: Participants continue and finish work with one-on-one guidance.
Organizer
Chris Valle was born in Ocala, Florida in 1976. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Florida in 2002. Valle’s paintings combine both representation and abstraction, using classical and experimental approaches. Conceptually, Valle’s work explores how the affect of entertainment content depicting sexual norms, stereotypes and sexual roles has a profound influence on our perceptions about sex and body image. Valle’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in galleries and museums in over 140 exhibitions, including the major art cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and Dallas as well as internationally with exhibits in Amsterdam, Italy, Germany, and London, including 17 solo-exhibitions. His work is in numerous collections, most notably the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, the Sienna Art Institute Library (Italy) and the HESS Corporation.
Venue
The Armory Art Center campus facilities include three buildings dedicated to art classes, a sculpture garden, and an interior tented courtyard.
The Armory Art Center provides art classes for students of all ages, exhibitions, art salons, lectures, and special events. Nearly 100 courses held in 12 state-of-the-art studios are offered including
- ceramics, photography & digital media, drawing, jewelry, painting, printmaking, textiles & fiber, and sculpture.
- Youth art classes and summer art camps are offered.
- Various exhibitions are hosted throughout the year in three galleries.
- The campus, located at 811 Park Place, West Palm Beach, at the south end of Howard Park, includes three buildings—the two former Palm Beach County National Guard Armory buildings and the Young Artists Studio Facility.
