June 22, 2023 10 - 4 pm CST
June 23, 2023 10 - 4 pm CST
June 24, 2023 10 - 4 pm CST
June 25, 2023 10 - 2 pm CST
Bridgeport Art Center, Jeffrey Hirst Studio, Chicago, IL
*price includes some materials not listed.
$500 deposit holds you spot and the balance is due June 1.
You may pay for the class in the following ways:
Online Payment. Click on the payment buttons above.
Call Jeff with a credit card (612-414-3030)
Send a check to Jeff Hirst at: 1200 W 35th Street 3A3120, Chicago, IL 60609
3 over 3 The Value of Color an advanced AbD workshop
"I am thrilled to be teaching this advanced AbD class at Jeff Hirst's studio in June. Join me as we create abstract art on multiple panels with the Abstraction by Design method." - Shem
The AbD method is defined as the practice of applying layers of paper and paint onto panel. The unconventional nature of AbD is applying these materials simultaneously on both wet and dry grounds creating surfaces to be manipulated and worked. We work in class these layered surfaces by scraping, sanding, glueing, removing, wetting, painting and repeating. Creating original stylized abstractions.
Value of Color Workshop:
The goal of this workshop is to cultivate our approach to the creative/design process. Let’s practice together the discipline of pre-selecting, pre-mixing, editing and refining our color, content and material choices as a preliminary aesthetic exercise. This streamlining process aids in sharpening one’s composition and design skills to create harmonious, complementary and less busy abstract art.
Materials:
9-16”x16” x 7/8” cradled panels. (See Blick item 07044-1616) Option: You can bring up to 20”x20” sized panels.
1-qt white latex house paint. (Flat or satin sheen)
1-qt black latex house paint. (Flat or satin sheen)
2-qts. Acrylic urethane/varnish clear medium.(gloss or semigloss)
12-16 sheets black tissue.
12-16 sheets 18”x22” newsprint.
Variety of collage papers and color tissue ( color, pattern, graphics, craft paper and re- purposed).
Color paint. Bring variety of colors. Latex house paint or acrylic artist paints for both applying and mixing. A small quantity raw umber & raw sienna acrylic paint.
To be used for mixing.
Tools:
1-6”wide flexible broad knife and 1- putty knife.
1- scrubber sponge.
1- sheet 80 grit sandpaper and 1- sanding block. ( wood block 2.5”x3.5”x.75” works well)
6- 2” chip brushes.
8- 10 pint/quart plastic mixing containers w/lids and 1- plastic gallon bucket (for water).
Scissors, utility knife, spray bottle(atomizer), wiping rags, paint stir sticks, white cards, artist brushes, hair dryer or heat gun.
Pre-class assignment:
Please complete before class.
Cradle prep
Apply 1-2 coats acrylic clear urethane (gloss or semi gloss) to the cradle and let dry. Tape all cradle (sides) with low stick(blue) tape.Panel prep
Watch this video and complete your panel preparation on all your panel faces before class.
About Michael Shemchuk
Michael Shemchuk is an abstract artist living and working in Northern California.
Born in the blue-collar mill town of Lowell Massachusetts in 1954, Shemchuk realized at an early age that his keen eye for color and form, burning curiosity, and love of adventure would necessitate a departure from the culturally spare town of Lowell.
Making a choice that was unpopular, Shem saw service in the military as his ticket out of the surroundings he found so limiting. Shem dove headlong into a world he had never imagined.
Largely self-taught, Shem did not emerge on the art scene in a conventional fashion.
Following his native skills and sensitivities as an artist, his career has criss-crossed the world of applied arts and visual expression. Influenced by studies at the Academy of Art
College and California State University, SF, Shem combined his love for photography, color, and abstraction. The result was an unusual amalgamation of interest and influences. Leveraging his practical skills, Shem supplemented his nascent career as a mixed media artist by practicing the craft of faux finish from the late eighties until 2000.
His work from this period is evident in some of the most noteworthy homes and buildings in the Bay Area. With a keen eye for hue and value, Shem served as a color consultant to numerous architects and interior designers in and around Northern California. His day of reckoning came at the turn of the millennium, when he resolved to focus his efforts on painting and abstraction full time. With the support of his wife, noted interior designer Kathy Farley, he was all in.
Shem’s work has evolved over the last two decades, shaped directly by a close engagement with material and process. From the onset, Shem’s focus has been on
abstraction and design. Influenced by his earlier faux finish work, Shem’s Meridian series, begun in the late nineties, used paint and plaster as primary media. In 2014,
Shem became interested in the changes in art-making stemming from shifts in technology. His response was to re-evaluate traditional materials such as paper and
paint, thus simplifying his approach to abstraction with the Tags series. In 2017, Shem was inspired to further his pursuit of abstraction and design by streamlining his materials and employing process as integral to his work. The result is his Surface Tension series, which is based on an organic process involving water, paper, pressure, friction, and time.
In addition to his art-making, Shem teaches the principles of Abstraction by Design (AbD) to students and fellow artists via workshops and private mentoring. His experiences as a teaching artist over the last four years have inspired and deepened his appreciation for creative community and collaboration.
Artist Statement
“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” -Leonard Cohen
In my journey, I have visited this quote many times. As a self-taught artist these words have provided me with a launching pad and a landing site in pursuit of my work. Awareness of the light has assisted me in recognizing my aesthetic and teaching skills. Sensitivity to the light has guided me in choosing the paths presented before me.
Michael Shemchuk- 3 Over 3: The Value of Color
Payments, cancellations, transfers, and refunds:
Registration for this particular class requires a $500 deposit to reserve your space. With the full balance to be processed 21 days prior to the first day of the workshop.
If YOU have to cancel: Refunds are not available unless we can rebook your place. Please note that the closer we get to the event, the less likely we will be able to find someone to replace you.
If YOU cancel, but we can refill your spot: You will be refunded everything you have paid minus a $100 administrative fee.
If WE have to cancel: We will refund everything you have paid.
How do I know if this painting workshop is going to run?
Jeff will contact registered participants 30 days prior to the start of class to confirm. We caution against making non-refundable travel arrangements until you receive our confirmation email.
If you have any questions regarding any workshop, call 612-414-3030 or email Jeff at jeff@jeffreyhirst.com.