BeckerArt FLOAT-YOUR-PIGMENT Newsletter March. 20th, Art Therapy

Published: Tue, 03/20/18

Hello

Welcome to the FLOAT-YOUR-PIGMENT Newsletter #148, Art Therapy

This last weekend was my BeckerArt Gallery Grand Opening and I have to say it was amazing! Being that it was St Patrick's Day made it all that much better as the town of McHenry, Illinois, where I opened the gallery had so many festivities going on. Crowds of people came in which made the opening so wonderful. I have posted 2 photos below of a before and after of the gallery. There is still a little more to do but the big stuff is done.

Sorry about last weeks letter and all the drama. Everything has been resolved and I have learned a great deal about social media, the good and bad of it and I will be writing about it in future issues. Thank you to all that supported and wrote to me, it helped me to get through last week and to enjoy my Grand Opening, thank you.

Just got back this morning from voting here in the state of Illinois....for all those of you in Illinois get out there and vote!

This coming Sunday I will be demonstrating in Hopkins, Minnesota for the Dillman's Festival of Artists info HERE

Yes to Class at the Civic Center Libertyville, Thursday, Mar. 22nd 1pm to 3:30

Yes to Class at The Antioch Fine Arts Foundation, Thursday, Mar. 22nd 6:30 to 9pm

Yes to Class at BeckerArt Gallery in McHenry, Saturday, Mar. 24th 9am to 11:30

Link to past Newsletters.

Art Therapy

Last week I was riddled with almost every emotion that you could possibly think of. Through all the emotions the one thing that could take me away from it all was creating my art. I could sit with a sketch pad in my hand sketching away and it just felt so good to get caught up in creating. When you are creating it is like nothing else in the world matters except what you are creating.

I have been told by many of my watercolor students along with many of the folks that come to my paint parties telling me the classes or parties are very therapeutic for them.

I have many students that really don't need to be in class anymore because they are that good but they will tell me it's the only time they can put aside to paint and they love the discipline of coming to class and having this comradery with all the other art students and it is therapy to them.

For me being in my studio with a painting underway and some music playing gives me pure joy and it takes me away. This may not be exactly what beginner students feel when painting because they are still learning and not quite comfortable with how to create exactly what they want, but In time with a lot of paintings under one's belt, they too may become more relaxed and find it therapeutic.

Think about how many of you when on the phone and have a scrap sheet of paper and pencil in front of you will begin to doodle. Even doodling is a way to release stress and is also very therapeutic.

I doodle whenever I have paper and pencil on hand, my hand just thinks up crazy shapes and then I usually shade them and I can't tell you how relaxing it is to do this.

So next time you are stressed out take out your sketchbook and start to doodle or go into your studio and start or finish a painting, it's a great cure for many things that ail you.

This therapy session brought to you by David

BeckerArt Studio/Gallery

Before

After

My BeckerArt Workshops and Demos in 2018

Here is a updated list of my 2018 workshop, classes and demonstrations.

This Coming Weekend!

Dillman's Festival of Artists Demonstration, Hopkins, Minnesota, March 25th For Information Click Here

SOLD OUT... Kanuga Watermedia Workshops, NC. April 7th - 13th, For Information Click Here

Dupage Art League Demonstration DuPage, IL. April 16th For Information Click Here

Dillman's Festival of Artists, Demonstration Lac du Flambeau, WI. May 27th For Information Click Here

Le Mars Arts Council Workshop, Le Mars, IA. June 5th -7th, For Information Click Here

Dillman's Spring Workshop, Wisconsin, June 10-15th, For information Click Here

Vermont Art Event Classes. Burlington VT, July 23rd -27th, Information to come

Artisan Materials Expo Classes, Santa Fe September 27th-30th, For Information Click Here

Artist of the Week

Gary Wigman- if it wasn't for this artist and friend I would have never finished my studio/gallery by last weekend. A special Thank You goes out to Gary. Take a look at his wonderful work.

Gary painted every square inch of my Studio/Gallery including the floor which I made him do with a 2 inch brush. I did help him along with my son painting the floor, but doing a large floor with a 2" brush takes 3 days, but you should see this great floor painting that we call "FLOOR"