Experimental Drawing I with Priya Vadhyar
January 10 — February 7, 2024
10 am — 1pm (EST)
Five sessions: Wednesdays, Jan 10, 17, 24, 31, and Feb 7
Online Workshop (All sessions will be held via Zoom)
“I let myself happen.” — Clarice Lispector, Água Viva, 1973
What does it mean to let oneself happen? This question heralds the beginning of this five week workshop that delves into the creative process and experimentation as a way of being and working. The workshop is designed with a specific “viewpoint” for each session.
Drawing is fundamental to the art making process. Whether it’s a quick sketch to tease out ideas, a study to be translated into another medium, or a work of art in its own right, drawing can help us understand ourselves and the unique way in which we see the world. The goal of this workshop is to use drawing as a means of self-expression. While the principles of drawing will guide our journey, we will use exercises and prompts to extend our ways of seeing and working. As we experiment with line, mark making, and composition, you will be encouraged to go beyond what is visible and wade into the unknown. We will work with watersoluble graphite, a versatile tool that allows for bold washes, bold inky marks, and everything in between.
Workshop Plan
Session 1: Looking In/ Letting Yourself Happen
Session 2: Looking Out/ Still Life and Metamorphosis
Session 3: Dreaming/ The Poetics of Drawing
Session 4: Paraphrasing/ A Different Perspective
Session 5: Reimagining/ Drawing as Play
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Supplies:
Canson Mixed Media Drawing paper 18x24” 160 gsm or similar
Drawing Board 20x26” (Sturdy cardboard can work too)
Watersoluble graphite 2B, 6B and 9B
Eraser
Paper Stump
Paintbrushes of different size, shape and material
Rags
Spray bottle
Container (for water)
Large and small sponge
Priya Vadhyar (b. 1980, India) is a visual artist currently living in Ellicott City (MD). In her current work, Priya explores the manifestation of, what Loren Eiseley calls, one’s “interior geography,” and the self’s relationship with the sum of things. Her work is an inquiry into the nature of boundaries, and the revelations that lie in juxtapositions. Priya’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at venues such as Gallery Beyond (Mumbai), The Drawing Studio (Tucson, AZ), Carroll Community College (Westminster, MD), Pyramid Atlantic Art Center (Hyattsville, MD) and Seacourt Print Workshop (Bangor, Ireland) among others. She is a member of Pell Lucy, an artist collective under the Shim Art Network. You can view her work on her website priyavadhyar.com and artsy.com.
TESTIMONIALS
“Priya opened my eyes and freed my hands to experiment with mark-making in ways I never imagined. Having the opportunity to react to features from all the senses and playing with chance and spontaneity are all exhilarating aspects of these experimental classes. Priya encourages risk taking and having fun with the process of creating in every sense.
Priya’s presentations are works of art in themselves. Her preparation is exceptional. I have taken many art classes but never one like this. She is a wonderful teacher; she sparks creative thinking with exciting prompts, exercises and inspiring resources.”
— Sarah M.
“I enrolled in Priya’s Experimental Drawing with the expectation that it would inform my mark making, my art making with new tools, new techniques, new insights, never imaging that it would not only meet those expectations but surpass them to such an extent as becoming life transformative in the process. Priya has set a new standard for instruction, mining stores of resources from across many disciplines presenting them in exquisite jewel cases of exercises shining gems each, leaving you wanting to dig into yourself and find the ones that are your own.”
— Suzanne B.