On Monday Saied Dais Life Drawing course began at Bath Artists Studios. I approached this with slight trepidation as I had read - and been told - that this was a very high quality course BUT equally that it was very demanding. We had enrolled on the afternoon session from 2pm to 5pm. Saied did seven years at Art School and is a full time artist. The only teaching he does is this one day a week course.
Pat and I arrived early to discover that there was no heat or electricity! Bath Artists Studios is in a quite old building on the upper Bristol road, and inside is rather like a rabbit warren. It is a community of artists - not just painters - who rent small studios, and is run by a committee, that include top artists like Brian Elwell and David Cobley. The thing about the place is the quality of the courses and teachers not the splendour of the building.
On arrival we met Saied Dai who welcomed us and repeatedly apologized for the lack of heating - the boiler was being changed - and electricity which was somehow related to the boiler change. We remained without electricity until two thirds of the way through. Despite these setbacks the course commenced. There were about a dozen people there with Pat and I plus another man the only newcomers. I gathered several had been on previous courses and indeed some had already done the morning session. As usual men were in a minority with a mixture of ages, my being at the upper end!
Because of the lack of heating the model - a young lady - had to remain clothed but as I've never drawn or painted nudes this wasn't necessarily a bad thing to start. Saied comes across as a really nice man and spoke quietly, which tended to soften the pretty stark things he had to say. I can't remember everything but certain things stuck in my mind. He was scathing about the quality of teaching in art schools saying 90% should be blown up! He also categorized artists as being either professional or amateur and this wasn't with reference to whether one earned a living from art or just did it as a recreational hobby. He certainly takes no prisoners but his manner is such that it didn't either offend or frighten. I think the overall message to us new comers though was be prepared to be told that up to now you've done everything wrong and you need a new mindset.
It started off with him telling us to draw the model in our normal manner. Pat has done some of this before but I hadn't and made a complete hash of it. I should have said that we used an A3 sketching pad, which was propped up on our laps and a chair placed in front. This was deliberate but something I've never done before and the resulting sketch was awful. I was going to show it but my `warts and all' policy only stretches so far. I could have been torn to shreds when he asked me what I thought but being self-critical I didn't need him to tell me it was terrible. We were also told to look at all the other sketches and he asked us what we thought of them. When expressing a general opinion - who am I to be critical - he asked why we said what we said. I can't recall the exact sequence but he talked a lot about the art of drawing and the various principles that should be applied, going into detail in a way that was different to anything previously experienced. It was fairly mind blowing to me , but not to the bulk of the class and Pat found it exciting.
Although a three hour session things seemed to move on and after a break in the middle he took us three newcomers into a corner and talked to us about the principles he taught. This took quite a long time and he asked us to take notes. I would have loved to have a tape recorder as it was impossible to write everything down but he covered things under six headings, proportion especially relating to intervals and vertical and horizontal relationships, axis, positive shapes, tone, colour and composition. Colour is only covered because of its relation to tone.
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Pat and I arrived early to discover that there was no heat or electricity! Bath Artists Studios is in a quite old building on the upper Bristol road, and inside is rather like a rabbit warren. It is a community of artists - not just painters - who rent small studios, and is run by a committee, that include top artists like Brian Elwell and David Cobley. The thing about the place is the quality of the courses and teachers not the splendour of the building.
On arrival we met Saied Dai who welcomed us and repeatedly apologized for the lack of heating - the boiler was being changed - and electricity which was somehow related to the boiler change. We remained without electricity until two thirds of the way through. Despite these setbacks the course commenced. There were about a dozen people there with Pat and I plus another man the only newcomers. I gathered several had been on previous courses and indeed some had already done the morning session. As usual men were in a minority with a mixture of ages, my being at the upper end!
Because of the lack of heating the model - a young lady - had to remain clothed but as I've never drawn or painted nudes this wasn't necessarily a bad thing to start. Saied comes across as a really nice man and spoke quietly, which tended to soften the pretty stark things he had to say. I can't remember everything but certain things stuck in my mind. He was scathing about the quality of teaching in art schools saying 90% should be blown up! He also categorized artists as being either professional or amateur and this wasn't with reference to whether one earned a living from art or just did it as a recreational hobby. He certainly takes no prisoners but his manner is such that it didn't either offend or frighten. I think the overall message to us new comers though was be prepared to be told that up to now you've done everything wrong and you need a new mindset.
It started off with him telling us to draw the model in our normal manner. Pat has done some of this before but I hadn't and made a complete hash of it. I should have said that we used an A3 sketching pad, which was propped up on our laps and a chair placed in front. This was deliberate but something I've never done before and the resulting sketch was awful. I was going to show it but my `warts and all' policy only stretches so far. I could have been torn to shreds when he asked me what I thought but being self-critical I didn't need him to tell me it was terrible. We were also told to look at all the other sketches and he asked us what we thought of them. When expressing a general opinion - who am I to be critical - he asked why we said what we said. I can't recall the exact sequence but he talked a lot about the art of drawing and the various principles that should be applied, going into detail in a way that was different to anything previously experienced. It was fairly mind blowing to me , but not to the bulk of the class and Pat found it exciting.
Although a three hour session things seemed to move on and after a break in the middle he took us three newcomers into a corner and talked to us about the principles he taught. This took quite a long time and he asked us to take notes. I would have loved to have a tape recorder as it was impossible to write everything down but he covered things under six headings, proportion especially relating to intervals and vertical and horizontal relationships, axis, positive shapes, tone, colour and composition. Colour is only covered because of its relation to tone.
Finally we were asked to draw the model again applying the principles he had expounded. By this time I'd overcome my initial funk and thought hard about what to do. I should have mentioned he said we should relate the model to the background and not leave her floating in air nor apply any shading.
This is my second drawing. Although on an A3 sheet it is quite small and unfinished. Just before the completion of the session he looked at it with the first drawing side by side. He pointed out that the later one was much better but I realise this is relative.
Meanwhile the weather outside had been terrible, wind and rain. The bus stop is just outside but for some reason the park and ride bus was delayed, and after a 25 minute wait in wet and cold conditions it finally arrived and sailed past full! After further adventures we finally arrived at our cars and made it home.
After this tale am I disheartened? Not at all. I have little doubt there are tough times ahead but I shall continue determined to prevail. I liked Saied a lot. He is thought provoking and very outspoken but his manner is such that you are neither affronted or disheartened - at least so far! I am looking forward to next week, slightly nervous perhaps but also intrigued.