Workshops in France Scholarship 2019
Scholarship Recipient 2019: Kyle Ma Workshops in France is awarding a full scholarship to one of our retreats or workshops in 2019. We look at the artist’s work, his or her passion for painting, level of production and what he or she might attain by attending one of our Retreats or Workshops. Since the mission of Workshops in France is to impact artists beyond their actual participation at a retreat or workshop and to share our lives as artists and grow as a result, it seemed appropriate to create a scholarship program for young artists. We hope that by immersion in the world of artists, a younger painter might learn what is is to live a creative life and share the inspiration and wisdom that keeps us on our own creative path. Kyle Ma – 2019 Scholarship Student. Julie first noticed Kyle in 2017 in San Diego, when as a 16 year old, he was the youngest ever instructor at the Plein Air Convention. The young artist presented an on-stage painting demonstration which impressed the entire audience. Julie couldn’t help notice this remarkable talent. Kyle Ma is the artist to watch, a prodigy and a master in the making. Born in Taiwan, Kyle moved to Austin, Texas with his family at the age of 10. He started documenting the world at age 4, and transitioned from drawing to painting when he moved to Austin. His family traveled and he visited museums to look and study master painting. By 15 years old, he began to rake in awards and be featured in major national shows including being a finalist in Southwest Arts Magazine’s Art Excellence Competition and named the Plein Air Salon Best Artist Under 30. Solo Show – number three. Recently he had his third solo show. Yep, you read that correctly — his third one-man-show and at the age of 18! He had the first and the latest one with the Wilcox Gallery and the Second at Santa Barbara’s Waterhouse Gallery. This speaks not only to his talent but his ability and dedication to produce enough work for these shows. The latest show, aptly named Prodigious Prodigy was exhibited at the Wilcox Gallery, Wyoming. Owner, Mark Wilcox said of the artist “Most lifelong professionals would be happy to produce an average Kyle Ma painting. Professionals often comment that such talent shouldn’t come so early or easily. Kyle’s drive, focus, and hard work have made him an amazing artist at a young age.” Red dots attested to multiple sales. Capturing Beauty He was always captivated by art and the beauty of the world around him. His viewpoint is easily seen through his painting. “I just want to convey the beauty of what I see. People can go through life and never realize how beautiful the world actually is. I want viewers to realize what’s out there.” We are delighted that Kyle Ma has accepted the scholarship and chosen to participate in Quang Ho’s Workshop with our team at Châteauneuf de Gadagne in June 6 – 15, 2019. Kyle’s website. If you know of an artist who should be considered for the a future scholarship, please contact us with your recommendation.
Pencils. What does H or B or HB mean?
The mighty pencil, is it H or B or HB and what does it mean?
H is from HAUT. It means HIGH. There is a high quantity of binder creating a harder lead with less graphite deposit. The larger the H number, the lighter the stroke. So, if you need the lightest of touch, use the H pencils. They also stay sharper longer…
Do you measure up?
Does the idea of coming to an art retreat scare you? Over the years we have heard people say that when they first came to one of our workshops or retreats that they were nervous. Their nervousness stemmed from things like flying, traveling alone, and the general unease caused by the unknown – but by far the biggest cause was the feeling that they might not “measure up”. Interestingly, the people who confess this tend to be the ones who have gained the most out of the retreats, as they have learned so much from painting alongside other artists! We offer two different types of experience, the Uninstructed Retreats and the Instructed Workshops. During both you find that the initial unease evaporates as each one is designed to allow you the space to grow as an artist. You will enter a “no-judgement” zone with Workshops in France. Our 2024 recipient, Sahil Singh Masand, traveled from India to Spain and then to Provence to join our workshop with Jane Hunt and Michele Usibelli. Sahil is now studying at the Barcelona Academy, refining his skills while dreaming of capturing the world through his art. We recently caught up with Sahil to find out about his progress, get feedback about his experience as a scholarship recipient at our workshop, and get the inside scoop on his exciting future plans. The Instructed Workshops are all about learning directly from a master, and we make sure that the people we chose to instruct with us are sensitive to our guests. They too were beginners at one time and are considerate of their students. There will be lots of discussion and everyone will learn from each other as well as the master. We will be following the grand tradition of artists travelling and painting together in the south of France. During the Uninstructed Art Retreats, we have individual mentoring available and we are happy to give demos. Our guests find them most useful when key points such as values, perspective and composition are explored. The uninstructed retreats are where artists tend to share the most with each other, as tips and skills are passed around as generously as the wine. So, are you good enough? We welcome every artist, from fearless beginners to consummate professionals. We recommend that you throw caution to the wind and to remember that the only person you are in competition with is yourself!The Instructed Workshops are all about learning directly from a master, and we make sure that the people we chose to instruct with us are sensitive to our guests. They too were beginners at one time and are considerate of their students. There will be lots of discussion and everyone will learn from each other as well as the master. We will be following the grand tradition of artists travelling and painting together in the south of France. During the Uninstructed Art Retreats, we have individual mentoring available and we are happy to give demos. Our guests find them most useful when key points such as values, perspective and composition are explored. The uninstructed retreats are where artists tend to share the most with each other, as tips and skills are passed around as generously as the wine. Blogger: Shirley Hambrick Shirley Hambrick is an award-winning stained-glass artist and painter. She has lived in Scotland, Spain and the USA. Shirley has been part of the Workshops in France team over the last few years and attended over 10 of these trips. Being Scottish, she was trained at Edinburgh College of Art and Design. Shirley teaches in the West Virginia area and you can some of her beautiful work here.