New class, interior paintings, Art Jam!
Come visit the latest mural I helped to paint, get a recap on the last cityscapes class, see my new interior paintings, new prints, and get excited for the upcoming Art Jam!
Happy March everyone!
It’s been a rainy month here in San Francisco, but that hasn’t stopped me from painting. For this month’s newsletter, come visit the latest mural I helped to paint, get a recap on the last cityscapes class, see my new interior paintings, new prints, and get excited for the upcoming Art Jam! Of course, at the end of the newsletter, you will be rewarded with a picture of my cat, Ruby.
First thing first, thank you to those of you who joined me for my second Cityscapes in Gouache class at ARCH Art Supplies! Since these classes have been so fun, I’ve decided to try a new class! This one will be shorter and more focused, exploring thumbnailing specifically as a compositional tool. If that interests you, join us on April 6!
A thumbnail is a small preparatory sketch used to explore composition and value before starting a painting or artwork. By using thumbnails to explore multiple options, the artist can dig deeper than their first idea and land on new and exciting compositions. We will use value and shape in thumbnails to create a strong base from which to begin an artwork. Students will work both with a still life and with exterior cityscape photo references in order to practice with varied subject matter. The class ticket comes with all materials needed, including a gray tone sketchbook, watercolor markers, chalk pencil, and micron pen.
Rather than study rules and principles of composition, this class will guide students through experimenting with thumbnails for inventive compositions and to build skills and instincts for composition.
If that sounds interesting to you, sign up now! We have earlier and later slots, 11am-1pm or 2pm-4pm.
As for the last Cityscapes in Gouache class, we were sold out again, including two returning students! I was so impressed by everyone’s openness to trying out my process, and delighted by the results. We even had one student with no painting experience, who did great even though the class is designed for intermediate painters! It just goes to show that through patience and trusting the process, anyone can start learning to paint.
My next announcement is new full color prints! I asked my followers on Instagram and they helped me choose four paintings to make prints of. It’s been a while since I’ve had this kind of print made, and I’m hoping it will make some of my favorite pieces more accessible for those who can’t commit to an original painting. I worked with A Good Sign, a small print shop in Albuquerque, and they made beautiful, archival, full-bleed 8x10 prints for these four paintings:
There are just ten of each, available at Queer Arts Featured in the Castro, or with The Spooky Haus at various upcoming art fairs. Check out their website or Instagram for upcoming events, but you can definitely find me and these prints at the Santa Rosa Zine Fest on April 20!
In between storms, Neil G. Ballard and I have been back at it painting a new, huge mural on the side of the Walgreens on Ocean Avenue! Neil’s design brings together icons of his Ingleside neighborhood, including the K line train, Beep’s Burgers, and the El Rey tower. We were featured in the Ingleside Light. I had a great time working on it with Neil and Mila Kirillova!
The official unveiling of the mural is tomorrow, Saturday, March 16 at 1:30 pm. Join us at the intersection of Ocean and Faxon, right by Java on Ocean, to celebrate!
Meanwhile, the rain has been a blessing for me (and not just for the state’s water reserves), because it inspired me to invite friends over for some “paint in’s” to replace my usual paint outs. Good thing, too, because Studio Gallery’s Interiors show is coming up! The show opens April 4th and will be on view through the 22nd, with a reception on the 7th.
In the meantime, I also have a few pieces up in the gallery for Beach, open until March 25!
In more great news, I am delighted to announce the next Art Jam!
Art Jam is an annual multi-day transgender festival and art-making extravaganza!! Attendees share knowledge, try new things, build community and get silly in an environment that uplifts and affirms all gender identities, presentations and experiences. The weekend will also provide abundant opportunity for creative collaboration and connection. All participants are heartily encouraged to apply to lead their own classes, workshops, or demonstrations – we will provide whatever materials you need!
Art Jam will be held at Firehouse Projects in Oakland, April 12-14. You can find more info and sign up here!
Thank you for joining me for another month! While you await the next newsletter, you can check out my website to see my portfolio of plein air paintings, still lifes, block prints, tiny scale model houses, murals, and you can also find information on commissions! Please feel welcome to email me and ask about any ideas you have that aren’t covered on my commission page, I’m always willing to discuss!
Stay tuned for next month, and let me know if there’s something you’d like to hear about in the newsletter in the future.
Lastly, as always, here's Ruby!
Thank you!
-Nathaniel J. Bice
he/him