INTRODUCTION TO THURSDAY ATELIER
“ATELIER
ate·lier | \ ˌa-tᵊl-ˈyā \
noun
Definition of atelier: an artist’s or designer’s studio or workroom”
I have not always been a journal keeper, and, sadly, I am a sporadic sketchbook chronicler at best. However, in recent years, I have found the value in developing a daily journal practice. Now, I can’t imagine starting my day without writing in my journal. On those rare occasions when I am unable to write, my day seems off in some way. I want to bring this practice into my artistic journey, as well as my personal journey, because it is so meaningful for me.
Last year I tried a Journal series (featured below) and started by showing a few basic compositions, because, I reasoned, EVERYONE takes pictures in some fashion these days. Why not share a few composition tips. Well, I’m not going to sugar coat things… it was an abandoned failure before I was half-way through with different compositions. Crickets. No one. With each post I felt like a comedian, squinting into the darkness, tapping the microphone, and asking if anyone was out there. Apparently, composition is scary, too dry, or just not as interesting to others as it is to me.
Well, this is a new year, and I am back at it. I spend a LOT of time and money learning, so why not share what I have learned (and am learning) with you? I really enjoy learning and I want to share what I have learned over years upon years of study, delving deep into subjects, reading, studying more… My goal is to find a hybrid between a journal and a sketchbook to share information. I hope you will join me with the new 2019 series I am now calling the “THURSDAY ATELIER”.
What is an Atelier?
Ateliers were popular from the the Middle Ages until the 19th century. A master artist would work with a small number of student to teach and train them in an art discipline. The atelier gave way to art guilds, and, ultimately, to the more formal education and training we are familiar with today. Today, we are more familiar with ateliers as a place of work and study, which is how I hope we will proceed in this adventure together… no master-student model, just curiosity, exploration, and learning ways to bring a little more beauty, and/or appreciation of beauty, to the world.
Questions and Suggestions
I have a few ideas to explore in the weeks to come. I hope there is enough interest to really deep-dive into subjects, but still have fun while we are learning. I believe most of the subjects will serve a broad range and level of creatives. Having said that, if you have suggestions for study, questions to explore, or a subject you would like to share, please leave a comment.
Going Forward
I plan to give this journal/atelier a new life, as well as a new effort. Just because you are not a “photographer”, please do not discount what you might learn and apply to your own work. You might be surprised to see how these basics translate across platforms and applications.
If you don’t consider yourself a creative, I hope, at the very least, this series will help you look at and appreciate art more fully. At the very best… I hope it will inspire you to create something on your own.
Either way, there is no judgment here… just learning and growing. So, if that sounds good to you, I’ll see you back here on Thursday to get started.
Until then, introduce yourself in a comment below and tell me what your preferred creative medium is, as well as how long you have been working in that medium, and we will go from there to hopefully long and fruitful discussions in the Atelier.
