Stanka Kordic Workshop, Day 2

Rubbing elbows with The Master, Stanka Kordic, who's work is at top left. Today we painted alla prima (meaning wet on wet, in one cohesive session) from a live model. The approach was a little different than previous efforts set down overtop prepared grisaille underpaintings, but the expressive potential was just as enormous. AND, I got so excited watching her paint, I decided to try my hand at oils again. It's your job now to hold me to that. Just let me ride The Derby Wave first.... (I know, famous last words) My Brain Has Officially Exploded. Good News? Gray Matter Doesn't Stain. The most important thing I left the workshop with? Ironically, it is something I already knew. "Paint what you see, not what you THINK you see."  If you've painted with me, you have heard my broken record version of this. Stanka gave it an entirely zen-like twist, one which resonated deeply, followed almost immediately by impact from The Irony Truck. She said (and I paraphrase), "Don't think of the item, think of the shape." Meaning, it's not a nose with a crisp bridge anchored by a round nostril. It's a wedge of purplish shadow with a sliver of watermelon at it's base that gently dissolves across the inner edge into the warmer gray of the cheek's flesh. That's why she makes the big bucks and I am merely a minion. And her painted noses are glorious and believable, and mine are, well, triangular with nobules at the base. More workshop photos are here - and I have to thank Stanka again for her mountains of inspiration. A fantastic teacher presents fresh ideas and nudges their students into eager exploration. She did just that, and I left her workshop with an eagerness to continue experimenting with edges, surface texture, and layered marks. And finger painting.  And moving directly into a new adventure, The Princess and I are heading to Kentucky for the weekend. I'll be speaking at The Kentucky Derby Museum on Saturday. We also hope to try Buckeye ice cream, go spelunking, hit the Louisville Zoo, take in a day of racing at Keeneland, and shoot random pointe (ballet) pics along the way (her in pointe shoes, as I'm sticking to my Converse). If the Gods smile upon us and I can bribe her with promises of bacon and sushi, I may even be able to fit in some creepy doll shopping too. Pics will be added here as our adventure unfolds, and it'll be back to the studio and routine come Monday. Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Warmly, Kim  ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com