Creative Mindfullness: Visiting African Art

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Thank Goodness I have my ART classes, between the news and the weather, YUGH!

And gosh, time flies when I have my hour long Mather Monday online class of Creative Mindfulness. We begin with a few minutes of meditation/breathing just to settle down and get calm. Then Casey gives us some background on the handout for this week. February we have been celebrating African Artists and inspirations. 

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The artist for this day was Reggie Laurent. The examples we used  for class were from his DNA series, very organic and helter-skelter shapes and repetitive designs.

 One of the reasons we use the repetitive design themes in these senior classes is they are an easy way to tackle an art project, removing a lot of the 'should I do this-or do that'. Once you start a pattern you are a bit committed to it, and that can free up your inhibitions in making art. Many of the people in the classes have never done art, others are retired teachers and real artists. 

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Our suggested materials were black cardstock, a bunch of assorted papers or magazine pics, scissors, glue or glue stick, pens,  markers, crayons, or paints for enhancing your paper shapes.

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We began just cutting out organic shapes. In lighter colors as our base was dark, then adding layers and pieces as we went along. Organic is great for me because I can't do a straight line for Anything.

I was cutting madly and not really worrying about what it was or was going to be.

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I had pulled some patterned as well as plain papers and lots of colors of cardstock. Working very fast we really only have 40 ish minutes before we share online---the shares are amazing as everyone goes in a different direction.

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After the shapes are glued down, you get to go wild and add patterns to emphasize the shapes This was really fun. I didn't get everything decorated, but worked another 30-40 minutes before it felt finished. 

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Laurent adds another set of lines in paint on the background color in white, outlining all the shape---which I thought would be too stark around my shapes/critters. I am considering an acrylic paint pen in some sort of dull/green, but I need to do some tests on the back of the cardstock/scrapbook paper to make sure it will take the paint.

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Meanwhile I had fun with my alcohol markers...which just worked so well on the papers. I've talked about them before---cheap set from 5-Below and I LOVE THEM.

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I've titled this 'Under the Rock'  considering this artwork copyrighted with this post 

2/18/25, Sandra W Magle

The following week we visited another African American Artist: Alma Woodsey Thomas (1898-1971)  who was an African American Artist and art teacher working in the Washington, D.C. area through the Civil Rights Movement and is now recognized as a major American painter of the 20th century. Many of her works are in the Smithsonian. 

The inspiration for this class were some repetitive paint brush patterns in controlled shapes or as vague landscapes. Small blocks/bricks of color were continued to make the designs or scenes. 

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I am again working on heavy cardstock/scrapbook paper, but pale gray. I was going to try and do this with colored pencils, but pooped out as the pencils weren't as bright as I wanted. So, I moved on to markers again. The technique has a very mosaic feel to it...I chose my friend's NEW backyard (buried) in snow that has the inlet of a lake a fence and someday a path. Trees are here and there, but I simplified the design using artistic license.

I ended up using a few pencils to accent, and mostly the alcohol markers

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I'm not much for straight patterns and I let the pathway really undulate. I sketched very loosely the tree and path, the boat and dock and then filled in with the 'bricks' of color. My hands really like the square markers, and turning the corners and curves is still a bit tricky.

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I couldn't help but think of Georges Seurat and the "Sunday Afternoon on Grande Jatte' at the Art Institute here in Chicago. It's a huge painting, inspired the Musical of the same name, and was painted entirely in small dots. Colors were shaded by placing separate colors next to each other. I used this technique by adding some green squares over the blue in the water to make this more shimmery? spelling.

I also worked small black or brown lines to emphasize areas in the trees and dock. AlmaThomas left her white between all her blocks---but I felt that was too stark everywhere for this landscape. I may even water color a tint over the path to remove some of the white. I lightly colored the white on the tree trunks with a flesh/brown. 

The dock is grayed with pencil---the white/gray blocks just weren't doing it. The boat became purple over the black marks, and the seats were shaded with a brown pencil. Here you can see the sparkles of the bright green on the blue water. 

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Close up on the brown pencil shading around the blocks on the tree bark. The picket fence really is something else now...but interesting. I imagined green plants showing through the slats.

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Consider this artwork copyrighted with this post February 18, 2025 Sandra W Magle.

I really enjoyed making this...the process was fun and soothing, the outcome interesting and I can't wait until next week we are doing some three dimensional paper cutting construction...Wow! 

By all means looks up Reggie Laurent or Alma Thomas and see how varied and interesting their work is. And maybe even try something similar for a quick art project. Great for working with kids also!!

Mather classes for seniors are the Best!

FREE

Mather programming here for 55 and older.

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I'll be participating at these fun parties.

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All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sandi