National night out 2011

i'm very pleased to have been asked to helm the worcester art museum's booth for tonight's special event happening all across the united states. national night out was created to promote safe and drug-free neighborhoods and partnerships with law enforcement officials. i'll be promoting summer session two classes and future fall classes for which scholarships through our outreach department are available. while talking about the positive programming we offer, my assistants and i will be working to make windsock kites with young attendees - should be lots of fun! the party runs from 4-8pm, on bell hill, the corner of Belmont St and Oak Ave. check your local city or town announcements to see if there is a national night out celebration in your area.

Summer schedule

i can't believe summer 2011 is already here! here's a partial list of classes i'll be teaching for the worcester art museum.

June 27-July 1 (Northborough Recreation Center)

Art Safari (5-7 years old)
Go on an amazing exploration of creativity and your wildest imagination! Students, using a multitude of various materials, will develop a stronger sense of the elements of design by creating 2D and 3D projects culminating in semi-life like make believe jungle composed of real and mythological beasts. All art classes have a basis of art history and self-esteem building.

FUNdementals of Sculpture (8-12 years old)
Students will start with basic sculpting materials and tools to produce individual pieces of art inspired by various works exhibited at the museum or favorite personal artists. As the week progresses so will the creativity! Surprises are in store for all involved as this learning experience expands a child's imagination and basic understanding of the fundamentals of sculpture!

July 11-22

Draw, Sketch, Create (5-7 years old)
Explore artwork in the galleries and learn to sketch what you see. Then, create your own drawing masterpieces in the studio.

Drawing (8-10 years old)
Experiment with drawing materials and focus on basic shapes, composition, texture and volume. View art and learn how to draw the world around you in new ways.

August 8-12

Drawing Your World (8-10 years old)
Explore landscape, cityscape and dreamscape in the galleries. Then draw your own beautiful world using inks, watercolors, oil pastels and other drawing materials.

Express Yourself! (8-10 years old)
Get inspired in the Museum and let loose your creativity. Experiment in sculpture, printmaking, paint and other materials to develop fun, colorful and experimental projects.

The evolution of my painting process

recently it seems friends have grown more curious to the evolution of my paintings. unfortunately, there's no easy way to explain as every painting's origin is different. i've promised to document the creation of my next piece in more detail, but for now you can see the formation of my oil painting on canvas "My Real" which was on display at the worcester art museum the winter of 2009. i'm not normally a still life artist (i prefer the human form in one fashion or another), but this was an attempt at getting back to form (well, sort of, obviously i added my abstract twist). i was successful in some aspects and ultimately failed in others. one never stops learning. what's not shown are the original painting and photographs of the pieces i used for reference. in the future i'll post a strict still life painting i did using the actual objects. i'm sure you'll see a difference between the two.

Announcing my fall schedule of classes at the Worcester Art Museum!

in an attempt to keep things fresh, my supervisor/mentor, christopher and i have selected two fall courses of the fall class lineup for me to teach! this fall semester i will be teaching two saturday 5-7 year old classes open to regular and new members, with scholarships available.

the first is, Clay: Poke, Pinch, & Pretend, utilizing a number of clay working techniques such as, slab sculptures, pinch pots, coil pots, and other creative ways to create wonderful and unique works of art. this course begins october 9th, ends december 4th, and runs from 10am-noon.

second, Things that Crawl, Wiggle, & Roar, a multimedia course were students will explore/study real life and mythical creatures and the relationship between the two. the majority of materials used for the course will be recycled paper and plastic products and other reusuable items easily obtained. this course begins october 9th, ends december 4th, and runs from 12:30-2:30pm.

all classes of the worcester art museum begin in a preselected gallery of the museum where the exhibit (loosely) ties in with the day's lesson. my classes have a foundation of art and world history based on the exhibit students and i visit each class and are structured around positivity while enhancing creativity. if you have any questions, please email me at, swartstudio@gmail.com. registration for fall classes will begin in late july / early august at the Worcester Art Museum website.