2017
09.18

Portrait of Me by U3A “student” Richard.

Portrait of Dennis Mealor – Copyright Richard Schoch 2017

 

click on image to enlarge in HD

 

 

I have just completed two terms tutoring at U3A on the Sunshine Coast (Australia). My course was entitled “Painting for Therapy & Well-Being.”

Originally I wanted to call it, “Painting for People Who think They Can’t Paint.” I should have gone with that,  because the chosen  title  evidently put some people off. Someone told me that they decided not to enrol because they felt they didn’t qualify:  they were sane, and therefore didn’t need therapy.

Perhaps  they were right.  But that said, I think some degree of ‘insanity’ is maybe a prerequisite to do art anyway. Some may suggest it has helped me over the years, at least.

But, to get to the obvious here: This image. On one of the weekly classes, all students were assigned to paint a portrait of someone in the class. The rules were 1. Non- realism; 2. Done quickly; 3. Try to capture something of the ‘essence’ of the person. I think Richard (an architect by trade) nailed it. He completed the coloured part of this painting in about 10 minutes if I remember correctly. Then added the cartoon work at home, based on some of my posts on this Art Blog. It made my day.