Dear Reader,
This blog post is long overdue.  I have been remiss in writing regular blog posts about our Conservatory's events, classes and other important news. This post is dedicated to our teen board , The Teen Artist Guild, which was launched in October of 2013. The brainchild of forming the board was presented to me by Karen Prior, who is the mother of our third year Youth Atelier student, Katie. Karen spearheaded the organization of the teen board which has been nothing but successful and entirely fun since! The Teen Artist Guild offers students of CCA and community youth the opportunity to learn leadership skills, get involved in the community by volunteering their time and energy and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow students with similar interests and the pursuit of art education. We have monthly meetings that include art projects, presentations by local artists, field trips and more!

I will present to you a gallery of photos that represent the events and fun times the youth have enjoyed thus far. If your child is interested in the CCA Teen Artist Guild, please contact me @ [email protected]. You may follow us on Instagram @ccateenartistguild.  Here we go! Please enjoy.  We want to know what you think, so please send us your comments!
All the best,
Leslie

Leslie Lienau
Founding Director

December 15, 2014. The Teen Artist Guild curated the First Annual Youth Art Exhibition. They did everything from collecting the work to hanging the work and even framing several pieces. They organized and hosted the opening reception for the community and their families. It was so much fun! We had great food and live music by Kyle Reid too!

This day long retreat was lead by Karen and Dave Prior. The board members learned about various aspects of being on a board from conduction meetings to organizing events. They learned all about The Robert's Rules of Order. It was a lot of fun! Here are some pictures of some of the art projects they got to do during the retreat, which included making tattoos on bananas!

I am pleased to present a second guest post from my student Kiana Daneshmand. Kiana has been studying with me for several years and her talent is exceptional. She was another willing and eager beta tester for Miira, the mobile application I developed for iOS. I believe that Kiana’s story will be inspiring and motivating.  
~ Leslie Lienau

Using the Miira app to get a likeness
By Kiana Daneshmand

When I first started drawing Audrey Hepburn, I used the Miira app on my iPhone to achieve an envelope fast and accurately. But getting the envelope down was only the first step. There were still all of the features and shadow shapes to think about. Plus, since Audrey Hepburn is a well known actress, I knew it was important to make sure there was a likeness. In order to accomplish this, I used the line tool to help find the placement of things such as her eyes, nose, and mouth. After getting those down, I was able to block in the shadows and start to see a good similarity. I was able to check my work as I went along and make minor adjustments when needed using the overlay tool. When I was pleased with the foundation I had built, I was ready to start adding details. Using the Miira app made it easier to get a really good likeness and a satisfying finished product.

Born in California, Kiana Daneshmand is a beginner artist who enjoys working in the medium of painting. Prior to taking art classes about a year and a half ago, she worked mainly with graphite and some charcoal. Although she has only just begun painting she hopes to develops her artistic abilities in years to come.  A couple of Kiana’s favorite artists include Thomas Kinkade, and Kelvin Okafor. They inspire her to work hard and one day be as good as them.

 Share your MIIRA app story and images with us  via email at [email protected].

A couple of years ago I founded Miira Artist Tools out of a need to invent tools to help me be a better instructor. One of our products, Miira for iOS, is a powerful mobile app that I believe changes the way the artist sees the natural world. I've had the privilege to work with a remarkable young artist, Katie Prior, who has studied drawing and painting with me for several years at the CCA. When we began to develop our mobile app Katie was eager to be a beta tester. Her input was instrumental in making the Miira app work even better.  Katie's story about her experience using the Miira app will be eye-opening and I believe will influence your perspective and approach to your work. I trust you will enjoy this story and I invite you to download the app, try it and  share your story with us too!  
Enjoy!
Leslie Lienau

To link to Miira's website, click here


Using the Miira app to create an envelope
by Katie Prior

Standing in front of a blank piece of paper, with the expectation of drawing my very first drapery study, I really didn't know where to start. I know about drawing shapes and the light and dark, but it was still overwhelming. I decided to use the Miira app on my iPhone. I started with the outline; sliding the guides on the app to create an envelope, a simplified outline, around the study.  I then transferred the envelope to my paper, making sure that all the angles were correct.

I used Miira’s overlay feature to check that the envelope on my paper matched the actual piece of drapery. Having the envelope correct to begin with saves tons of time later, so that in the middle of blocking in shadows you don't realize that one fold should be another inch to the left. From this point, I was able to draw in the shapes of light and dark.

I've spent many hours on this study and it's almost finished. The Miira app has helped me many times along the way to confirm the shapes and angles in my drawing.