LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
A two-day workshop held Dec. 5 and 6 by the Open Sky Creative Society saw a half-dozen artists in Fort Simpson learn the craft from a master.

Colin Stipdonk adds to a group drawing during Open Sky's drawing workshop. The workshop ran for two full days from Dec. 5 to 6, in which time participants learned the rudiments of drawing and skills such as perspective, tones and how light strikes objects. Here, Stipdonk finishes off the last step of a musical drawing exercise, which worked like musical chairs. Each artist got eight minutes with a drawing before switching places. - April Hudson/NNSL photo

The intensive workshop ran from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days. For the occasion, the Open Sky Creative Society brought in artist Shawna Lampi-Legaree from Yellowknife.

Lampi-Legaree runs Dancing Raven Studio and is best known for her watercolour paintings and her art quilts. She often runs painting workshops in Yellowknife.

This time, though, the medium was pencil.

Lampi-Legaree structured the workshop based on fundamental skills, beginning with lessons in basic shapes and building up to perspectives, angles and proportions.

Artists also learned how light strikes objects and how to use measuring tools to keep their proportions accurate.

Colin Stipdonk was one of the drawers present. Stipdonk said this was the first time he has picked up a pencil in a couple years.

"It was fun to get to know people better. The lessons were clear and I built up some skills," he said.

One of the skills he found particularly useful was learning different values in shades.

'Language of drawing'

Lampi-Legaree said the range of skills she taught the class built upon one another and included teaching students the "language of drawing."

She also ran them through memory exercises, whereby they had to look at a picture and then draw it without seeing it again.

They also learned the value of another set of eyes - and hands - on their own work. One exercise, which Lampi-Legaree terms "musical drawing," had the artists play musical chairs while leaving their art behind. They worked on each others drawings, rotating every eight minutes, until everyone had worked on each piece of art.

Stipdonk said Lampi-Legaree encouraged the artists and presented her lessons in a well-organized manner.

"If there was another workshop, I would definitely join," he said.

Lampi-Legaree said the participants came ready to learn -- and they did.

"They were eager and focused," she said.

She added some of the students, including Stipdonk, became more confident as they went on and began to blossom.

"It was a fun class and we all really enjoyed it," she said.

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