Artist Studio

 On Tuesday I picked the boys up early from school to take them on an adventure!  We drove 2.5 hours south, to visit Brian Kershisnik's art studio in the teensy town Kanosh.  I didn't tell them how far we had to drive - I just brought plenty of movies, drinks, snacks and off we went.  Brian was so darling with the boys.  He spent and hour talking with them and showing them all around his studio. I fell in love with a number of paintings - that I am guessing I shouldn't post yet because he isn't finished with them yet...I will later :)

We learned about his pallet.  It is made of glass.  He stacks unused oil paint on the back side as they make these interesting forms.  His daughter likes to come and clean his pallet off for him about once a month.  He showed the boys his drawer of paints - reds, yellows, blues, black and white.  Then he squirted out different blues and yellows showing us clear vs. opaque paints.  Michael asked, "When you are shading, do you add black to your color? or do you use just a darker shade of the same color?"  He talked with Michael about different options in different options in different situations.

 

The boys were completely enthralled by the whole adventure.  We learned about the steps it takes to get to a finished painting.  He told us stories about the building [a very old and large brick building].  Scotty loved seeing the attic full of costumes that his wife uses for Shakespeare plays. 

The painting behind Michael is shockingly gorgeous.  Taller than Peter, it is a swarm of angels coming to the aid of a troubled woman.  [What I would give to have this in our home some day!!].  He started this last February [he works on many projects at once], and wants to finish it by this February.  He then turned to Michael and said, "Sometimes I am afraid of finishing it - and it is hard to start on it.  Isn't it funny that I am afraid of my own work?"  Michael grinned, "No, I totally know what you mean!"  "But then I just have to do it anyway," Brian answered.