Living things exude mood and energy, but this presence can only be understood in relation to context. Thus, figure and ground exist in symbiotic dualism; both independent, yet one does not exist without the other. Understanding is derived from their interdependence.
What fun!
I lead two days of portrait drawing classes this week at Otto Petersen Elementary School in Scappoose. My students were in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades – a VERY energetic group.
The school brought in several artists from the local area. Students got to choose what they wanted to do; including drawing, watercolor, printing, abstraction, and more.
One of my groups with their pastel self portraits:
Rembrandt is famous for his self-portraits. I could not resist drawing one them.
The original painting by Rembrandt is titled Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar (1659, oil on canvas, 84.4 cm × 66 cm). The painting was gifted to the National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC, USA) in 1937 by the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn
* July 15, 1606, Leiden, Netherlands
† October 4, 1669, Amsterdam, Netherlands
