"One Teacher, Many Voices"

Some teachers are flattered when students imitate their styles. Not me. Nothing makes me happier than seeing my students develop their own voices. In our new show “Sandra Kaplan And Friends,” you’ll see accomplished work that more than makes my point. And don’t be put off by the fact that you’ll be looking at student work. A number of these artists are represented by commercial galleries. I’ve selected works that I’m proud to curate, and which I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest that you add to your collection. Yes, the art will be for sale, and you’ll find paintings that should appeal to a variety of tastes. But if you just want to browse, join us anyway. I think you’ll be as intrigued as I was when I assembled this impressive sampling of work by current and former students.

In my classes at the Art Students League of Denver and other workshops, artists are encouraged to develop a personal, individualized approach to the world through their painting. Technical expertise is used in the service of vision. I believe that the stronger the exploration of a personal perspective becomes, the more interesting the resultant paintings will be.

“Sandra Kaplan And Friends”

Where: Theodore Schultz Architectural Offices, 863 Santa Fe Drive, 2nd Floor, Denver

When: May 3, 2013 through June 30, 2013

Artists will be present during the following times: First Friday, May 3, 2013, 5 to 9 PM Opening Celebration, Saturday, May 11, 2 to 5 PM First Friday, June 7, 5 to 9 PM Closing Party, Friday, June 21, 5 to 9 PM (although the exhibit continues until June 30)

Please visit us on one or more of the above listed dates. The exhibition will also be on view during normal Monday through Friday business hours, or by appointment with one of the artists.

Participating artists:

Tim Alcock, Acrylic

Courtney Ahn, Mixed Media

Young Hee Back, Oil

Rob Davenport, Acrylic

Pricilla Garrett, Watercolor

Matt Hardwick, Acrylic

Sandra Kaplan, Collage and Acrylic

Nancy Kembel, Watercolor

Suzanne Mills Kramer, Mixed Media

Gwen Marie, Watercolor

Elke McGuire, Acrylic

Patty Ramey, Oil

Dale Smith, Acrylic

Patti Spranger, Acrylic

First Peek At "Space Stories"

6 canvas multi media painting, "Space Stories", part of Sandra Kaplan's newest series

There is still time to catch an exhibit celebrating the first 25 years of the Art Students League of Denver, at the Redline Denver Art Center, 2350 Arapahoe Street, in the RINO Art District north of downtown. League Faculty members were invited to include a piece of their own, with work from three of their students.

My students are:

Suzanne Mills Kramer, Young Hee Back, and Tim Alcock; three artists who have been working intensely on their craft for a number of years, and have studied extensively with me at the ASLD. Their paintings range from abstract to very representational, but each artist's painting makes a very strong case for their unique vision.

I am showing, for the first time, part of my newest series, "Space Stories".

These multimedia paintings have been inspired by the Hubble Telescope images, and my gentle research into the history of astronomy. When doing research for my series "Some Thoughts About The Weather" a few years ago, I also collected many images from space, and I have been eagerly anticipating using them in another series for quite some time. History, science, philosophy and art soon collided, merging tales of gods and goddesses with scientific images of galaxies many light years away. I realized how swiftly changing our human view of our universe is, and how today's science will be tomorrow's folk tale.

More images to come.

January 2013 Workshops

Sandra Kaplan’s

January 2013 Studio Workshops

Two special workshops will be held in my St. Francis de Sales Studio in January.

COLLAGE

Thursday, January 10, 2013, 10 AM to 4:30 PM

Fee: $75

We will discuss a bit of the history of collage as an artists’ medium, and experiment with a number of collage techniques. Understanding the difference between collage as a craft medium versus collage as a medium for artistic expression will be included in our conversation.

A supply list will be emailed when I receive your check, which also reserves your spot in the class.

COLOR, MIXING PAINT

Thursday, January 24, 2013, 10 AM to 4:30 PM

Fee: $75

A prerequisite to this class is my Josef Albers’ based color class, either at the ASLD or in my studio.  In those classes, we worked with colored papers to understand visual color phenomena. Now, we will discuss color mixing, and do a structured series of painting exercises, in your preferred medium, to develop mastery of color and color mixing. Exercises will enhance your understanding of Hue, Value, and Saturation.

A supply list will be emailed when I receive your check, which also reserves your spot in the class.

And don't forget to register for one of the remaining spots in my Provence, France, workshop, October 2-12, 2013!

Collage, Plein Air Paintings Around Town

My work is scattered around town, and beyond, this month.

I was the juror of the "Own An Original" show at the Littleton Museum, 6028 South Gallup Street, Littleton, Colorado, 303-795-3950. The show will be on display through January 13. A large number of very talented, if conservative, artists applied for the desirable honor of a one person show at the Museum. The top prize went to Rogers Naylor.

Three of my Plein Air paintings are on display in this exhibit.

Aum Gallery and Framing, 2227 East Colfax, 303-394-3362, is displaying its 2012 Miniature Show through December 29, 2012, 303-394-3362. Three of my small collages are included in this Lilliputian exhibit. The collage pictured above is one of the three.

The Art Students League of Denver has an incredibly amusing show titled,"The Joy Of Toys". A small watercolor of our dog, Elgee, using one of his favorite toys as a pillow, is at the ASLD, 200 Grant Street, 303-778-6990, through January 23.

If you plan on a trip to the mountains, until about December 28, my Plein Air Vail Valley Workshop students from this past summer have some beautiful paintings remaining in The Mile Radio Station lobby,  Main Street in Minturn, 970-827-9400.

And of course, many more works of art are available in my studio, which is open by appointment.

Provence - Sign Up Tomorrow

A number of artists have expressed an interest in my workshop in Provence, October 2 - 12, 2013. 

The cost includes the workshop, accommodations, food and wine, admission fees - most everything except airfare. You will be picked up and returned to the airport in Nice.

I can promise a spectacular time. I have been in constant consultation with Paula Sullivan, from the Abbondanza Toscana, who will insure that our time along the Cote d'Azur is spent touring and painting instead of worrying about accommodations, admission fees, wonderful food, transportation to our sites, etc. Paula has all of that under control. And some of our options for locations are so exciting, I can hardly wait to set up my easel.

Paula has found a fabulous house in Draguignan (12 bedrooms, a garden, and a walk to town) which we hope to call home for 10 days next October. A necessary deposit for this house is our reason for offering an early booking reward - a discount of 50 Euros, plus an hour's consultation with me, by Skype or in person, (a $95 value).

The deadline for this reward is November 12, a few days away. Please, if you have any questions, email me. But don't miss this opportunity.

My Fall Classes at ASLD

Fall is here, and I look forward to seeing many familiar, and many new faces in my Art Students League of Denver  classes, which begin next week, right after Labor Day. For your convenience, I have listed the course descriptions below, with a link here to the ASLD website.

Just put my name in the search box for classes, and both classes below will appear.

Expect individual challenges in "Paint Your Vision", where I hope to encourage you to improve on your strengths and clarify your vision.

And come to enjoy and expand the colors you see and use in "Color Through The Back Door". You won't see the same way after this class. I have expanded the duration of this class from 8 weeks to 12, because there seemed to be so much I wasn't able to cover last year. But to make it more affordable, the class is divided into two 6 week parts.

  

 Painting Your Vision: Watercolor, Oil, and Acrylic Painters 

This class challenges adventurous, independent painters, giving you the opportunity to set and achieve your personal artistic goals. With technical assistance in your medium of choice, focus on improving your skills and meeting your individual goals in a friendly, supportive group. 

Mondays & Wednesdays, 9 am–12:30 pm | 

Sept 5, 2012–May 29, 2013 | Monthly ongoing 

$126 per month, $146 for non-members

Color Through the Back Door | Part 1: Working with Paper | Fall 2012

Dates: Sept 6–Oct 11, 2012

Times: Thursdays, 9 am–12 pm

Ability: Intermediate–Advanced Cost: $189 for 6 weeks, $219 for non-members Registration Deadline: 08/31/12 Materials: $10 materials fee | Part 2: Working with Paint | Fall 2012 Dates: Oct 18–Nov 29, 2012 (no class 11/22) Cost: $189 for 6 weeks, $219 for non-members Registration Deadline: 10/12/12 This two part workshop uses color theories from  multiple sources, primarily Josef Albers' "The  Interaction of Color". It emphasizes seeing and  expanding the range of what is seen, hence  developing mastery over color, and its use in painting. Students will come to  understand the relationships between colors  and discover color's expressive possibilities.  a series of structured exercises, students will learn how to brighten, dull, lighten or darken  colors by changing adjacent areas. Using a playful  approach to this complex subject,this class will give  students a greater command of their medium. Building on the experience of Part 1: Working with  Paper, in Part 2, students will explore color through  a series of structured exercises and mixing and  matching experiments in their paint medium of choice.

New Plein Air Paintings

Xcel Energy power station at 13th and Decatur Streets, Denver.  I've finally painted something which has intrigued me for years. This looks like something one would find on a space station. Mars, perhaps?

Tree Skeleton in the Betty Ford Alpine Garden, Vail, CO

Atop Vail Mountain

Along the Eagle River, Minturn, CO

Several of this summer's plein air  paintings. Each one is acrylic on canvas, and either 16" x 12" or 12" x 16". Paintings from Vail and Minturn were completed during my recent Plein Air workshop in the Vail Valley.