Jeff Hirst

Jeff Hirst’s Experimental Drawing workshop invites participants to explore drawing through traditional and non-traditional materials, developing everything from quick studies and spontaneous experiments to fully realized works. The emphasis is on experimentation, personal vision, and taking chances—letting go of the pressure to create a recognizable image and instead discovering where the process can lead.

Drawing prompts and exercises will draw inspiration from the Oregon coast, literary references, the surrounding environment, and the individual interests of each artist. Participants will work with a wide range of materials and processes, including charcoal, graphite, water media, carborundum, plaster, building materials, ink, R&F Drawing Sticks, and collage. Hand monotype printing processes will also be introduced as a way to add unexpected marks, layers, and imagery, opening the door to unpredictable discoveries and new possibilities.

A PowerPoint presentation will introduce contemporary artists who use drawing, mixed media, and experimental processes in their work. Daily exercises will encourage creative thinking, risk-taking, and a willingness to follow intuitive and subconscious directions. Throughout the workshop, participants will be encouraged to move beyond conventional ideas of drawing and develop work that reflects their own aesthetic interests, visual language, and individual voice.

What participants can expect from the class:

• Working with unorthodox materials and understanding their relevance in your work

• Discover how place can exist in work including both as a natural and man-made phenomena

• Discuss structure and how it is important in work to strengthen compositions

• Rapid fire sketching exercises

• Composition challenges when working with drawing and unorthodox materials

• Use line, shape, and color in unique approaches

• Class exercises to further inspire and brainstorm possibilities

• Have you considered how a sense of place can function in your work?

• Are you looking to clarify the content in your work?

• Have you been searching for a way to unify process and content within your work?

• Would you like to be challenged to add a new direction to your work?

Materials:

Students bring:

• (6) sheets of Stonehenge 22” x 30” 250 gram white

• (1) box of compressed charcoal – 12 sticks

• An assortment of drawing materials that might include: pencils, pens, markers, erasers, Prismacolor pencils, colored pencils (not everything is needed, but a sample of these materials)

• DryDex fast dry spackle – 16 oz

• 2 large sponges

• 1 bottle of india ink 8 oz

• 3 Mr Clean Magic Erasers

• 1 roll of Lineco Document Repair Tape

• 1 bottle of PVA glue 8 oz

• An assortment of brushes including 1 3” chip brush

Jeff Hirst brings:

• R & F Drawing Sticks

• R & F Pigment Sticks

• Found Papers

• Cardboard

• Brayers

• Floor Varnish

• carborundum