Life Drawing Progression

graphite life drawing ©Jeff Watts

I spent about 8 hours on this life drawing.  It was executed on a Vellum Bristol and done using graphite pencils.  We often use Charcoal and one could easily do that for these long efforts but I find using graphite to be a nice change of pace and excersises a different type of discipline.  This type of drawing is excellent for very advanced students looking to work on subtleties in their modeling of form and value control as well as allowing time for hands and feet, hair design and other more obscure aspects of drawing that often get overlooked in the 3 hour class pose.  The newer students benefit greatly by not being rushed as they struggle with observational problem solving and it is simply more relaxing.  Both quicker and longer drawing efforts are necessary when developing your foundation.   

The Encinitas Years Part 1: Westlake 2000-2007



Jeff Watts class demo

Before I start this next chapter of the Atelier’s history I would like to preface it by saying I have seen so much in the way of human behavior and have helped to cultivate so many wonderful artists who have gone on to incredible careers.  Alas if only that was always the case.  Along with the amazing relationships there have always been difficulties with complex personality types that simply do not factor into your plans for peaceful teaching, but one must put behind the trials and tribulations in the true pursuit of beauty and mastery. This is one of the ironies of life and to this day I aspire to create a truly peaceful and productive environment to study in.  I have left out the names of certain individuals during this phase as it would only serve to open up old wounds.  I felt this important to mention before moving on as it has forged my personality in so many ways.  

Erik Gist class demo

It was during this phase that a few young talented students begin to stand out as potential teachers and a new era of development and growth would begin.   They would all prove to be indispensible to the Atelier’s future success and would become my extended family of sorts.  They all were just beginning their artistic journeys but were such incredible students and people that I can’t begin to say enough great things about them.  Amongst these young talents were Ben Young, Meadow Rozelle-Ryker, Lucas Graciano and Mark Hill. It was truly a great period.  I was designing new classes and started a dual teaching program to assist in the development of new teachers from within the ranks of the Atelier.  I have yet to see this style of teaching as adding a second teacher would be too expensive of a proposition for many Ateliers.  

At the time the name Atelier had not caught on and we used it as a new way to reinvent an old method of training.  I applied to a new organization called the Art Renewal Center run by Fred Ross.  They were trying to assist getting the word out about small privately owned entities that were of exceptional merit.  At first my curriculum was a hard sale as they looked over all of the class descriptions and commented on the fact that too many of the classes utilized photos and were too illustrative.  I developed a well thought out response about the different careers and paths present day fine artists and illustrators where going to have to navigate.  Much to my excitement the reaction was a seal of approval on our entire program.  I was on my way to finally getting recognition for the successful teaching and the program I was designing. 

This was truly an exceptional growth period for the Atelier.  I was teaching full time and helping develop new tiers of teachers who were originally my understudies and now were proving instrumental in the new momentum.  The gaming industry had taken note and many of their professionals were coming in to train.  People were coming down from L.A. to see what was happening and all was quite surreal.  My ability to cultivate exceptional skills within my students was now becoming fairly commonplace.  All seemed great but the wear and tear of carrying a successful illustration career, teaching full time and trying to stay true to my fine art aspirations was starting to affect my health. 

It was at this time that I had expanded the Atelier to 3 rooms.  We had a lot of overhead and although things were good I was starting to yearn for a permanent location for the Atelier.  We now had a 13 year track record of consistent growth but not strong enough financials to purchase something.  We tried on numerous occasions but were denied.  I continued to push, grow and change the program.  We started a youth program called the Future Masters Program. It was very successful and all teachers participated.  Along with this I designed a variety of Certificate programs for students looking to navigate the some 60+ classes I had designed. 

Jeff Watts class demo

Meadow Rozelle-Ryker class demo

Many new challenges arose as I begin to work with the young talented staff of new teachers I was grooming.  Many were in their early to mid twenties and were new to the responsibilities that accompany teaching students their own age or significantly older.  I too had witnessed this and had to learn to manage successfully all of the variety of personalities and true characters one runs into in this sort of business.  This is an awkward time for the teachers as they had to compete against each other to try and fill their classes and gain a following but at the same time try to respect their fellow teachers and not sabotage their efforts.  I started to see some troublesome patterns as one of my senior teachers, whom I had let back into the school, had started to constantly undermine the other teachers as he vied to try and sway  the students over to his vision and intentions. 

This started a very difficult period of management for me as I was constantly trying to shore up the school and keep it on its original course.  It was as this time that I also made contact with an old friend from school who was very instrumental  to my growth back in my Calabasis years.  He had vanished and no one knew where he was.  I finally tracked him down and offered him my first full time teacher position and was ecstatic when he agreed.    He turned out to be very helpful to the very advanced students and teachers but did not enjoy teaching the rudimentary level students of which much of my school consisted.  This would prove to be detrimental and caused numerous problems.    This period was not all bad and as with all difficult times there are always lessons to be learned.  This phase lasted about a year and then I had to let him go.  I truly have no hard feelings towards him and hope this most talented individual finds his way.

Robert Watts class demo

Jeff Watts teaching plein air painting

After his departure it became apparent that a vacuum had been created and someone had to step into it.  This would be the senior teacher with whom I had so many previous issues.  He had long been plotting his exit but not in the professional manner you would expect from a senior employee you had not only trained from day one but also had such strong ties to all areas of the Atelier.  I will not go in-depth into all of the issues and events that transpired.   I have always held fast to my belief in Karma and it was truly time for this tumultuous period to come to an end.  I apologize if I sound a bit negative about some of these events.   I feel it is important to address this issue because it was such a long period of the Ateliers history and it established many of the qualities I now look for in potential teachers.   I am happy to say that this lead to the most joyful and solid period that the Atelier has had.  As I look back over all of the many phases and plateaus it brings back a wonderful book I have read several times.  It is titled “Mastery” by George Leonard.  It is a great read and addresses the many plateaus and trials one must face on his or her journey to mastery in any field.  I would highly recommend it as you are moving forward on your artistic path.  

Jeff Watts Illustration demo

Marty Davis teaching ecorche class

Jeff Watts assisting a student

Jeff Watts teaching

Westlake location

Jeff Watts teaching

The Early Years Part 2 (Del Mar location)

Del Mar location

I did not have a lot of time to consider the move from downtown to a new location and again I found myself with a dilemma. The only location I could find that would rent to a school would double my previous rent. I had no time to asses if the demand would be there to meet the numbers we needed.  I ended up sub-leasing a small space on Jimmy Durante Road next to the Del Mar Race Track.  It was overpriced and I had to share use of the space with a new age school.  I had only one teacher other than myself who would prove to be a detriment as he would unexpectedly leave in the middle of a term with no notification.  I was now left teaching both his classes and mine putting the total at 14 classes a week.   

Jeff teaching illustration

 As we were sharing this room with another tenant that was running a new age school we had to accommodate the other classes by moving out all of our art stages and benches.  A young student by the name of Erik Gist would assist Krista and I in taking down the entire set up and put it up before each class.   I don’t think he knows how much I appreciated this small unsolicited gesture.  The routine of tearing down and setting up the school would carry on for the next year until we moved again.  It was almost the end of the Atelier.  Erik was starting to show great promise and our friendship had slowly began to develop.  It was this kind of generosity of spirit  that I had noticed early on from Erik that lead me to believe he might become my next teacher.  He had just graduated from San Diego State University all the while working full time as a cook in an Italian restaurant and attending our Atelier.  He grew up in the same area as I did and we shared many mutual friends.  I came to have great faith in Erik and knew he would be a good fit for the Atelier.   This was one of the best decisions I made while designing and envisioning how I wanted the Atelier to develop.  I asked Erik to join me as a new teacher and he accepted.  To this day he is one of my best friends, my right hand man, and the best teacher I have had.  Teaching in this manner is extremely demanding and Erik always rose to the challenge.  This is not to play down the importance or significance of the other teachers to come.  They all had a part to play in the rich history of Watts Atelier.  I could talk about each of them for pages but I will try to keep it relatively brief as to not make this into a small novel. 

Erik M. Gist plein air painting

 

We were barely meeting our numbers so Krista took a job in the same building and swapped her pay against the rent.  She too deserves a huge amount of praise for her willingness to follow me on this crazy journey.  She has always been there to pick-up the slack in the many areas from accounting to graphic design and all the particulars that have kept this venture going.  She deserves a medal for her patience and effort.  

Jeff demonstrating illustration techniques

The school was starting to grow and word had spread to many artists/students who had always wanted to attend but were either unable or unwilling to chance the long drive to downtown when the school was on 5^th Avenue.  I knew that I could not keep on with this ridiculous regimen and would need to look for yet another space.  As I looked around I happened upon a space in Encinitas that was in very close proximity to where we lived.  Fate was smiling as the same land lord I had in Del Mar just happened to own this building as well.  He was an artist himself and an architect by the name of Herb Turner and loved the idea of us moving into this space.  I did not know at the time how lucky I was as many owners do not allow or want a school on their premises due to the many problems with parking, logistics, etc… 

Stay tuned for chapter 3 The Encinitas Years....

Robert Watts plein air demonstration

Ben Young plein air painting

 

What's on the Easel

This is my most recent studio painting.  It is a 40”X30” Oil painting titled “Old Timer” and took about two weeks to paint.   Originally I had intended for this piece to go to the Portrait Society of America Show but decided last minute to send it as my second piece for this year’s Prix de West Show in Oklahoma.  I originally shot the reference photo for this painting at the Del Mar Race Track.  I received permission from a friend to go behind the scenes early one morning where the jockeys and trainers were preparing the horses for the day’s races.  I happened upon this old gent sitting and having his morning coffee.  He looked at me rather puzzled and slightly annoyed when I asked if I could take a photo of him.  The nice thing is he simply sat there without posing at all.  Usually the person will sport a huge smile but not this guy.  I guess it’s not his first rodeo.  I am sure this old cowboy has seen a lot.  I have included some preliminary sketches, the gouache study and the tighter drawing.  This is indicative of how I often work. Generally you cannot stage these spontaneous shoots perfectly.  It does require many years of training to convincingly superimpose numerous reference shots into one painting and still make it look natural and realistic.  That is why we train so hard at the Atelier.  Hope you enjoy.

The Early Years Part 1 (Downtown San Diego)

Many of my current students often ask or are curious as to how the present incarnation of my art school came about.  When a student comes in today it may seem like the school runs as a well oiled machine and I am happy to say most of the time that is the case.  However, when I started the school or Atelier as we now refer to it, it was anything but.  I grew up with an artist father who had attended Art Center on 3^rd St. in Los Angeles and Pratt Institute in New York.  He grew up in Iowa and later found himself raising his 3 kids in San Diego.  He left school a few terms short of a degree and decided to start a freelance career in San Diego where we were all born and still reside to this day.  My father was a great influence on me growing up and still is.  I watched his career in illustration and learned so much without even realizing it by simply being exposed to it during my early years.  It was not until my late teens that I seriously contemplated starting my education toward becoming a professional artist.  My father kept in touch with friends from his L.A. days and was president of the Society of Illustrators in San Diego.  We went out to dinner with a very accomplished illustrator by the name of Thomas Blackshear and I asked him over dinner where he would attend school if he could do it over.  He mentioned a small school in the outskirts of the San Fernando Valley that he had seen some incredibly talented artists coming out of.  He did not know the name but that was enough information for my father to find what was to be the California Art Institute in Calabasas, California.  It was a very humble school run by an eccentric artist by the name of Fred Fixler.  You can look him up and find a plethora of information on him as he was very influential in training some of today’s most proficient illustrators and fine artists. 

Upon visiting the small art school (I was 18 at the time) it took no longer than seeing the student work on the walls to know this was where I wanted to train.  Now keep in mind this was a non-accredited school that was based solely on the premise that artistic skill alone would be adequate enough to support a successful career as a fine artist or illustrator.  My father was instrumental in allowing me to attend as he would be paying for it, and I started the long and arduous road to proficiency in the traditional arts.  I spent about two and half years full time at the school absorbing as much information as I could.  At the time Fred had just stepped down and a young protégée by the name of Glen Orbik took over teaching the majority of the classes I attended.  Another talented student teacher by the name of Andrew Burward-Hoy proved instrumental in my training.  Mark Westermoe, Neil Boyle and Norm Mason should also be noted as teachers of merit while I attended.  I gained amazing insight, mostly as to just how much I did not know and how long a path it was going to be.

I decided at this time to move back to San Diego to study with my father some subjects that were not really touched on at the Institute.  As money was tight at the time it was either work in the movie industry, which I had started doing, or move back in with my folks and continue intense study on my own.  I chose the later after about a year of freelance in L.A. following my studies at the Institute.  I found upon returning to San Diego that I was completely disillusioned with the instruction, or lack thereof.  I could not find any proficient programs in the area.  The teachers at the local colleges did not seem to be skilled enough to help at my level, the programs where fraught with bureaucracy and incompetence, many of the students had amazing and unjustified egos that went unchecked.   There seemed to be a false understanding that unique pseudo intellectual banter about terrible execution would somehow suffice in the professional arena.  After a short guest teacher stint at Palomar College over the summer I had to move on.  Unable to secure a permanent position due to the fact I had no degree, I decided rather that rant and rave about it I would simply start a small workshop of my own to continue studying the way I knew best.  Now remember, at this time I am about 21 years old and have no prior experience running anything.  I did however have a very intense background in competitive athletics and was confident I could design some sort of training regimen similar to what I was accustomed to that would accomplish similar results.  I have always enjoyed helping others and I too have always felt myself a bit of an underdog.  So with this I set out to change the art education topography in San Diego.  I did not have a lot of competition and was able to bumble my way through on good old horse sense and good intentions. 

At this time I met the woman who would later become my wife, Krista Elgie, and I was bar tending at night and trying to teach during the days.  It was a most humbling situation. I had about 6 students and the room was tiny.   I had to come out to see Krista when she would visit as it was too small to fit myself, the 6 students, a model and her all at the same time.  It was as humbling of an environment as you could imagine. Unfortunately I did not take photos of this room as it was not much to speak of.   In spite of all of this it was still an amazing time.  My personal and artistic growth was incredible yet the challenges inherent in running every aspect of the school became quite overwhelming and I began to get a bit disillusioned.  I began thinking of packing it up and moving on when the tenants across from my space, which was ironically rented by San Diego Comic Con, decided to move out and offered me their spot.  It was in my opinion the first real studio for my teaching career.  It had a nice ambiance and was quite a bit larger.  I could now fit about 10 to 15 students.  The images sprinkled throughout this blog post are of this room.  I really had no intention of it ever turning it into a full- fledged Atelier.  I simply wanted a place to continue studying and the camaraderie I remembered from the school I studied at.  It is so ironic that in order to have a group of friends with which to interact I would need to build an environment and teach them what I knew.  Honestly in the beginning I wasn’t the best teacher but no one had anyone with which to compare.  I was after all only 22.   It was a very innocent time and I have to say sometimes ignorance is definitely a blessing.  If I had known how difficult and arduous the path I was to take would be I probably would have thought twice and never pursued a career in teaching.  It was a steep learning curve but I slowly began to realize one of my true strengths was my love of training and the ability to multitask and prioritize the countless skill sets one must master on the way to proficiency in the arts. 

As the school matured I slowly started to see potential students that shared a similar enthusiasm for the craft.  It was at this time that I started to realize if I was to teach more advanced classes I would need to be able to free up some time by training one of my understudies to teach the more fundamental classes while I went on to create a new tier of more advanced drawing and painting classes.  The conundrum was that it took about 3 to 5 years to get a student proficient enough to possibly teach and then another 2 or 3 of assistant teaching before they could carry a class with a similar style and proficiency.  Luckily I was young and had the time to invest heavily in the few students that seemed to have potential.  The unfortunate part I would later realize was that skill was only a part of the equation and personality and other more subtle attributes would ultimately prove instrumental in the overall success of the fledgling schools teachers.  I was now in my mid twenties and Krista was starting to take on the accounting and graphic design duties which also were quite demanding.  I was working as a freelance illustrator, aspiring fine artist and teaching and running the school full time.  Again lucky to be young and full of vigor! 

It was at this time that I got married and had to begin to think about my future course of action.  I was still living with my parents and I needed to move out and start my life.   I had to decide to either keep the school running, which was barely profitable, or to move back to L.A. and take a job opportunity at DreamWorks as a visual development artist.  It was at this time that I booked a trip to Morocco to shoot reference for what was to be my first one man gallery show.  I had a lawyer working out the particulars with DreamWorks and was to sign a contract when I returned.  I had been working on this deal for over a year and decided it would be best for Krista and I.  The money would be phenomenal but I would have to be in L.A. and DreamWorks would own everything I did even outside of studio work .  The school would need to be closed.

To make a long story short while I was in Morocco I happened into a small local shop in Marrakesh where some young artisans where spinning vases and as they were spinning they would paint the most amazingly intricate patterns on them.  I was amazed at their dexterity.  When asked how much they made they answered about a dollar a day and that was all they could expect.  I thought to myself if only they could attend an art school like the one I was running at home what amazing talents they would become.  This was a real game changer for me.  I had, waiting at home, a job that was starting at 150K and also the opportunity to do almost anything I wanted.  Upon returning I called up the lawyer and much to his dismay told him I was going to decline the position and would not be moving to L.A.  He thought I was crazy but also said he respected me greatly for the decision.  So many of the students at this time did not know how close I had come to closing up shop and moving on.  I have to think fate played some role in all of this.  I try not to get too carried away with this kind of thinking but sometimes the irony of life seems  just a little too uncanny. Fate would again intervene shortly after this decision as I received the news that my rent would be tripling. I decided the only option would be to move the school up North to Encinitas where Krista and I were now residing. 

Stay tuned for Chapter 2 sometime next month...

What's on the Easel

The painting I am presently working on is titled “Pepper Falls” 24X30 oil on lead primed canvas.  This painting is being done from a piece of reference I took on a recent trip to Teton National Park in the Bridger Wilderness.  We were hiking up to an overlook called “Crow’s Nest” at an elevation of 10,000 feet.  On the way up I was scampering around looking for photo opportunities when after shooting I noticed I had lost a nice pair of sun glasses.  Later that afternoon after hiking all day I decided to look around at the location where I last remembered having them on the outside chance I would find them.  I did not have much hope.  However, our guide, who also happens to be a Sheriff in Jackson Hole, had his drug sniffing dog on the trip with us.  Her name is “Pepper” and as I pulled off the trail to give it one more look before heading into camp I asked Pepper to come help find the glasses.  Sure enough she led me right to them.  That is where I got the title for this piece. 

2012 2nd Annual Watts Atelier Boot Camp

WHAT IS THE WATTS ATELIER BOOTCAMP? The Watts Atelier Boot Camp was designed to be a thorough hands-on workshop with a heavy emphasis on exposing students of all levels to a plethora of training methods and exercises used in our full-time Atelier program. It will give the artist an opportunity to gain valuable insight into where they truly are in their development by immersing them in the Watts style of teaching as they work with the entire staff of the Watts trained instructors.


HOW LONG ARE THE DAYS? The days are 6 hours of instructor based learning and an extra 3 hour evening session to practice the days lessons. We start the day a 10:00am and go to 10:00 pm if you take advantage of the evening session. (Optional) Many students will arrive early around 9:30am for complementary coffee and bagels. 


HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE THERE AND HOW IS IT STRUCTURED? The class size is 15-to-1 instructor. Each student is given either an A or B on their name tag when they arrive on the first day. The A’s will start on one side in the morning, let’s say the Drawing side, and then switch to the Painting side in the afternoon. The B’s will do the same. All of the benches and easels are numbered and when the students arrive they go and pick a number and then take their spot. Students will do this each morning and afternoon. This helps to avoid the normal confusion that so often happens when people have to rush to the workshop to get a good spot.


WHAT TYPE OF SUBJECTS WILL BE COVERED? The subjects covered are as follows: Intro to Head Drawing; Anatomy, Figure drawing 3 hr. poses; Figure Lay-ins 20 min. poses; Figure Quick-sketch 1 ,2, & 5 min poses; 20 Minute Head Lay-ins; Long Portrait Painting and Drawing 3 hr. poses ; Copying from the Masters both Painting and Drawing; Gesture Portrait Paintings 40 min. poses; Still life Painting; Landscape Painting.


WHAT MEDIUMS CAN I USE? The majority of the drawing sessions will be conducted using our regular tools as if you were attending our Atelier. It constitutes a specific charcoal pencil, smooth newsprint, and some miscellaneous items, while the painting is primarily oil. We require all students to use these materials for the sake of efficiency in covering so many topics.


WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO GET OUT OF THIS EXPERIENCE? The goal I had in mind when designing this workshop was to help students gain a reality based understanding of where they truly are. It is sometimes very sobering when you are confronted with a “proper” training regimen for the first time. I have included some of the feedback from last year’s students below so you can see what they thought. I all too often have to deal with students expectations being way beyond what is reasonable. I am happy to say none of the 28 participating artist had any negative feedback.


WHY IS THIS ANY DIFFERENT THAN OTHER WORKSHOPS? This is truly a unique experience for many reasons. Most workshops have at least 20 people per teacher. We will keep this to 15 allowing for more one-on-one assistance. All of the instructors were trained under myself insuring that we all cover the topics with very little confusion and a very high consistancy, we all have taught together for at least 8+ years , Erik for 15. I have never seen another workshop cover such a wide range of subjects, methods and techniques with this efficiency. The addition of an extra model in the evening is also seldom seen. On top of the above mentioned you can add that our models are extraordinary in their professionalism and only our A team of models are used during these workshops. Having taught at dozens of the other establishments over the years I am confident in saying this workshop will likely set a new bar on your future expectations of what a workshop should be. Please do not take this as me being arrogant but simply how very proud I am of how we conduct every facet of our program.

Comments on our 2011 Inaugural Atelier Boot Camp:

2011 Boot Camp Workshop Feedback Questions:

2. Did the workshop live up to your expectations?

A: The workshop absolutely exceeded my expectations. I have taken classes with many exceptional artists at six different venues and Watts Atelier's Bootcamp exceeds any experience I have had.

3. What was your favorite part? Least favorite?

A: It is difficult to pick a favorite. The curriculum was perfect, covering the basics and meeting you wherever you are in the learning curve. All the instructors are so talented and so approachable, no pretensions, no egos, just the love of the building blocks of art creation and SHARING these with others. The schedule was adhered to, even by the models! And the models....all far above average, many exceptional, like JJ, Rob and Savannah. The optional evening work was a HUGE PLUS. I did not have a least favorite...my least favorite is that my husband's financial services practice is in Dallas and not nearby!

4. Would you take this workshop again?

A: You offer it, I'll be there. Longer would be better. Twice a year for a tuneup would be perfect.

5. Is there another workshop theme you would like to see covered?

A: No, but I would like to spend more time on each of the topics covered. Having said that, however, I noticed that at the end of this workshop, which was 3 days longer than any other I've attended, I was not exhausted, or tired in the least, which has generally been my experience at other venues. I wondered if it was because we were doing so many different things each day.

6. Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions to make this a better experience for future participants.

A: I think what you are doing is incredible, and I think your target audience is spot on. I think there might be another audience to tap, and it is people like me "of a certain age," that is, boomers, who are looking for the art education they couldn't find in the 70's because all the art education was abstract, and who are seriously pursuing either a muse, a passion, or a path never followed but still beckoning. I meet lots of these folks, men and women, in fine art classes, with time and money to spend to become the best they can be. This might not be an audience you want to target, because it may not be compatible with your full-time, year round curriculum. But I think the Bootcamps could capture that audience, perhaps be another revenue stream [this group typically has more dinero to spend], and garner more full-time people from among those exposed to your programs. To that end, I'm happy to share my fellow workshop participants' emails collected over the past 4 years with the Atelier if you'd like.

Thanks again; I have based my new training program on the concepts you shared. I've attached it in case you are interested. Loomis, Vanderpoel, and Simblett are on order. I'm getting color prints of the master paintings I want to copy. I am drawing from Robert Bevely Hale's "Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters" and Charles Bargue. I AM PUMPED!! MANY, MANY THANKS!!!

Christine P.

1. How did you hear about this workshop? My friend, Patty L.

2. Did the workshop live up to your expectations? Exceeded, on every level.

3. What was your favorite part? Least favorite? Painting was my favorite, and that just means that I love the paint, and the color over drawing and the study of the anatomy. Does not mean that I did not like the amazing instruction in drawing and every aspect of the intensive demonstrations and lectures.

4. Would you take this workshop again? Yes.

5. Is there another workshop theme you would like to see covered? Painting en plein air on location, what to bring, how to set up, etc.

6. Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions to make this a better experience for future participants. I had a terrific time during our 8 days, and realized, once again, how much I need to continue to practice the lessons that Jeff and your excellent teachers brought to us.

Maybe there is a way to provide a place to put the wet paintings for the students who need to leave them at the school to dry. I think more participants had extra gear lying around due to the nature of the bootcamp, so maybe your regular classes have different needs. I took mine home most of the time, so it was not a big deal for me.

If I take the portrait workshop in March, I will let you know if I can offer a place to stay for some of the participants.

Thank you and your talented and caring teachers for an incredible week of instruction. The effort, and energy devoted to this experience was evident in all details. We had an amazing time, and I hope I can come back soon.

Pam M.

Did it live up to my expectations? YES! I loved it! Your teachers are excellent! Jeff is down-to-earth, realistic and approachable and Krista is an amazing “behind-the-scenes” asset to the business. (And Jeff realizes it!) The models were excellent—they were professional, stayed “in character’ and were hardworking—it was usually the models saying “Break is over”!

Favorite part? Being somewhere where I could be “totally immersed” in everything art. It’s always good to hear discussions of art principles and techniques, artist-to-artist discussions of various twists, turns, successes and challenges of the various art careers, and the chatter of artist’s discussing their favorite artists and why. To be able to do that without the interruptions of daily life demands is why I attend workshops of any kind in the first place. Least favorite part? I didn’t have anything I didn’t like about it.

Is there another workshop theme you’d like to see covered. I’d also like to see more landscape. But that’s just because of where I live and because I don’t intend to submit a portfolio of figure drawings in pursuit of an illustrating job etc. I realize the importance of drawing skills etc, but painting landscapes (and still life) is still a very important study of values, temperatures and even illustration as a person makes the choices of what to include, what to leave out, how far to “push” the colors seen etc.

I loved the school and hope to attend in the future. I hope it was a positive experience for you too! Thanks for offering it.

Becky W.

First off – Thank You

Hopefully you realize the both of you are truly special. That your respect for life, for each other and for what you are accomplishing is a joy to be around.

Just because a program is designed well does not make it successful, it is the personalities of the “champions” that make or break it – this is where you have succeeded to the highest level.

Good on you for your vision, tenacity and generosity of knowledge and good spirit.

I also feel very blessed to be part of your first boot camp. I am envious of those who live close and are part of this unique school.

1. How did you hear about this workshop?

One day approximately two years ago I was just surfing the net and ended up somehow seeing some of your work. Then I found your website and every time I needed a fix – would study your paintings and kept talking about it to my painting pals. I saw announcements of other workshops but timing was not in sync with my work and life. So one day on your site I saw the announcement for the boot camp and wondered if I could afford to go (not just money wise but time, energy, work schedule etc) and then felt very strongly that I couldn’t afford to miss it – that I would miss out on one of those rare and unique opportunities if I let this slip away.

2. Did the workshop live up to your expectations?

Yes – and more. I know that we all need to practice, practice, practice but I love to watch an artist, who’s work I am passionate about, demo their style and bring their method to life. The bonus is that you are an excellent teacher.

Also your students-now-teachers were all fabulous; they brought a lot to the table by them going through this school/method. It was great to hear about their work and what they are doing and what they want to do.

You also had such professional models – well done.

3. What was your favorite part? Least favorite?

My most favorite part was to not only watch you paint or draw (and to paint/draw ourselves) but to listen to your “prattle”. It was so filled with sage advice, humorous antidotes, heartfelt sharing of beliefs, love for Krista (family & friends), your common sense and just downright enthusiasm for life – that part cannot be designed into a program – it is unique to you and only you. Also that you have thought this path through so well and are pointing your students in the direction to acquire a good foundation in the skills of drawing/painting. You are a natural at teaching not only because of your wealth of knowledge but willingness to share.

Least favorite part was that time went so fast – that it was over all too quickly.

4. Would you take this workshop again?

Absolutely

5. Is there another workshop theme you would like to see covered?
Right now I can’t think of any. I have my box of charcoals and a winters worth of drawing to do as well as my oil paints and canvas– so I am happy!

6. Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions to make this a better experience for future participants.
This is ever so slight in the big picture but because I have done so much teaching/workshops throughout my working career and maybe this is ‘old’ school – but it would have been good to spend 15 minutes on the first day introducing ourselves. Even more so because after that first session we were divided into two groups and never really got to hear from where each was from and what their artistic aspirations were. This also may have a down side because as pointed out by you very humorously – artists are all about themselves!

Also it may be a good idea to have a signup sheet for those who would like to share their email addresses (then circulate that list to those who want to share). Just I missed a couple of addresses from people that I would like to correspond with – but that was my own fault for not getting it sooner and then they had left by the time I remembered I didn’t have their address.

 All in all – a job well done – pat yourself on the back

Hopefully you had some down days prior to the start of this semester.

Take care, all the best

Love Sally

It was a great workshop, just what I needed at this phase of my learning.

2011 Boot Camp Workshop Feedback Questions:

1. How did you hear about this workshop?
I watched Jeff Demo at the OPA National in May 2010. His skill is what inspired me to want to pursue a workshop he was teaching.

2. Did the workshop live up to your expectations?
It was a great overview of all the areas needed to be professionally proficient. Yes it did.

3. What was your favorite part?
Having the models in the evening to allow you to practice and digest what we were learning and take advantage of time away from home and fully concentrate on learning. It has given me a set of concrete areas to work on to get my skill set up to a professional level.

Least favorite? I don’t have one.

4. Would you take this workshop again ?

I would but I would prefer to go deeper into the tiling method of painting and becoming proficient at painting & lost edges. A drawing refresher would be good to but my main focus is painting. It depends on timing. I would really love to take both Jeff and Carolyn’s workshops but I’m not sure if I can swing the costs so close to this last workshop. So I’ll see what is offered for next year at this time.

5. Is there another workshop theme you would like to see covered?
It is impressive that Jeff has trained so many people and they are making a living professionally in “Art”. I would love a workshop that concentrated on the painting mentioned above and how to make the jump into the professional arena and what you need to do. I was impressed by both Stan’s and Meadow’s paintings long before I knew they were students of his. How did he help them get going?

6. Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions to make this a better experience for future participants.
I loved the 8 day format because you get more time to digest what your learning and try it a bit and see where you’re not understanding things. Also the variety of subject matter, learning how to wash with clear stains, tile and loose edges. Portrait , still life and scenery and Master studies, I learned from everything. It was really a great workshop.

Thank him sincerely for investing so much time into teaching. He’s one of a kind out there, no one else is teaching this depth of knowledge. I told my husband after the first class that he was teaching the things that could help me bring my work up to the national show level. That’s a real gift.

Hope that helps and many Thanks,

Michelle M.

Sorry for taking so long to respond. I was so excited to attend the boot camp and left so on fire that I could hardly contain myself! It was awesome. I thank you, Jeff and all the instructors for the work you all put into the boot camp.

2011 Boot Camp Workshop Feedback Questions:

1. How did you hear about this workshop? Watts Atelier website.

2. Did the workshop live up to your expectations? Oh Yes.

3. What was your favorite part? One-on-one instruction. I was absolutely impressed with the knowledge, humility, and passion each instructor showed.
Least favorite? That's hard to find. I wish there had been more class time but having said that I know how happily tired I was after each day.

4. Would you take this workshop again? I would however my wife and I are planning our move to Encinitas next August so I may try attend your school in Fall 2012.

5. Is there another workshop theme you would like to see covered? Anatomy drawing.

6. Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions to make this a better experience for future participants.
I've been running it over in my brain for a while and can't think of anything to add or change. It was so cool to meet you and Jeff and I hope to see you all again next year. Thank you for doing this. It was a blast!

Brad

PLease visit www.WattsAtelier.com to register for upcoming workshops including the 2012 Watts Atelier Boot Camp Workshop.