Virginia Cobb's, "Acrylic Abstract Image" on Sale

Abstract Acrylic Painting: The Evolving Image with Virginia Cobb from Creative Catalyst on Vimeo.


This week's sale is Virginia Cobb's art instructional workshop, "Acrylic Abstract Image: The Evolving Image."

Virginia Cobb's DVD is a bit different from most of Creative Catalyst's workshops. Instead of focusing on technique, it explores the discovery process that goes on inside our heads. Virginia creates three paintings from the same inspiration but emphasizes a different element of design in each painting: shape, line and texture. The results are amazingly different. She layers, covers, and re-discovers shapes and colors. Her process creates a sense of history and permanence. Watch as she adds layers but, more importantly, listen to how she thinks about what she is doing.

Virginia's artistic process relies on problem solving. She challenges herself by constantly creating problems, which forces her to discover solutions. It keeps her art fresh and original.

I had never really thought about this approach. Normally I look at problems in my work and think, "$%&! Oh look. Another failure." But Virginia actually propels off of problems to keep her paintings fresh and original. That is SUCH a better way to look at it. (Also more kid friendly.)

Thursday

I realize that I didn't post anything personally creative yesterday. I was too excited about Virginia Cobb's DVD. Today is another attempt at figuring out how this poster should look. I'm just playing around and letting my mind wander.

My weekend starts tomorrow and starts early. First I will be at the local college by 7am getting ready to film a friend's master's defense. I will then spend the rest of the afternoon sitting on a couch with said friend accompanied by a giant bag of chips, some brainless movies and crochet hooks to celebrate her finishing 3 years of hard work!

Virginia Cobb Pre Sale

Work is abuzz today with excitement. Virginia Cobb's DVD, "Acrylic Abstract Painting: The Evolving Image" is being produced as I type. We're announcing the pre-sale and will have it shipped to us in just a few weeks!

Friday!

The birds are so loud outside our office window! I can tell it's sort of annoying our sound editing guy, Zach. He's not anti-bird but it's hard to focus on audio while there is a shouting match of chirps not 5 feet away. Me? I find both very amusing.


I'm on my second pass through Virginia Cobb's DVD. She says such great things. Here's a quote I found today,

"Be real alert to what's going on with you and everything around you when you paint because everything is part of the painting and you are responding not just to the paint, although that's the the big thing, but also the sounds. So one day in my studio I hear birds out my window and another day the rain is pounding on my roof. Do I paint the same on those two days? If I do I'm not paying attention." -V.Cobb

After I found the quote I read it to Zach and he said that everything we do at Creative Catalyst Productions should look and feel like birds chirping. Ha!

(Images are from Virginia's video). See more of Virginia's work here!

Virginia Cobb

The May Craft Cat hit in boxes today so it's back to editing for me.


Virginia Cobb was a ton of fun when she was here and is just as much fun to watch again on camera. It's fascinating to watch her work. I feel at times you can really see which side of the brain she's working from. I'm also starting a collection of quotes. I'll share them as I go. Here Virginia discusses the importance of thinking about your work. She says, "The thinking time is every bit as important as the time you spend putting paint on paper."

Good point~

Virginia: Day 3

In movies they always have the artist characters covered in paint. (The current show Heroes has this for example.) This always sort of annoyed me because all the artists I know are really tidy. Artists don't want random color on their hands because those random colors might get into their palettes or onto their paintings and create mud. Who *are* these artists the movies portray? Then I met Virginia. She moves paint with everything from razors to squeegees to her own hands. (As seen in the picture). Not only is it fun to watch, it has beautiful outcomes.




Virginia left yesterday early and we were sad to see her go. Lynn is already planning on attending one of her workshops in September. How fun will that be?!?

Update: Virginia's DVD Acrylic Abstract Painting: The Evolving Image, is now available at Creative Catalyst Productions.

Viriginia Cobb: Day 2

I was out the first half of the day at drawing class but when I came back, WOW some of her paintings had really transformed! Virginia is not afraid of that paint. Unfortunately my camera is having close up problems but above is a shot of one of her three.

Update: Virginia's DVD workshop, Acrylic Abstract Painting: The Evolving Image is now available at Creative Catalyst Productions.

Virginia Cobb: Day 1

Virginia* arrived last night and we got the cameras rolling this morning. I'm sitting in on the filming and while they don't need me this afternoon, I'm learning so much I hope they let me stay!

Virginia is an acrylic non objective painter. She uses everything from her brushes to squeegees to her hands to move color and create texture. There was one point where we watched through the cameras as she squeezed out a giant gob of cadmium red light and we all sort of held out breaths in fear. But it looks amazing. She's fearless!

Below are close ups from some of the paintings she's working on this morning. She does amazing work with texture (visual and physical)

*Update: Virginia's DVD, Acrylic Abstract Painting: The Evolving Image, is now available at Creative Catalyst Productions.