Rebeca’s Art Newsletter is Here!

Primavera

May 2024

Belgum Trail Solitude. Acrylic on birch panel, 12 x 12,” 2024.

My Canvas Chronicles

The new year started with a bang. I painted the two portraits below in six weeks. Graduación Con Osos is an homage to my youngest sister. Salma is part of my Activists of Richmond series.

Some of you may know I am participating in a large scale mural painting and restoration project. But recently I learned that the project has been delayed until this fall. What that means is that beginning in June, I will be teaching drawing at the Richmond Art Center on Wednesday afternoons. I will also be able to teach my plein air class this year on Fridays from 11-2. I have increased the number of weeks to five, because I heard four weeks was too short.

On a brighter side, I’ve been participating in a series of encouraging community efforts. One of them is organizing a Richmond Open Studios on August 17-18 as part of the Visual Artists of Richmond (VAR). So please save these dates! Your trip to Richmond is about to get much more exciting with multiple artists to visit. More details below.

I am also representing VAR in Richmond Renaissance, an initiative to create an Arts District in Richmond. Don’t you think it’s time to let artists revitalize our city? The linked article above is the most informative piece on the project so far.

Salma. Oil on canvas, 60 x 36”, 2024.

We Make Art In Richmond at NIAD

I am so excited to be part of this project! For this show I submitted Graduación Con Osos, a symbolic oil on canvas painting featuring my sister and niece.

The show originated in a mini-grant awarded the NIAD Art Center by the Richmond Art Commission, to produce a zine and put together an exhibit highlighting artists who make their art in Richmond. The zine and exhibit is coming out soon and will include ten artists from NIAD and ten artists with studio practices in Richmond. The show has been extended until May 24. NIAD is located at 551 23rd St. and they are open 10:00 to 4:00 PM. Tues to Sat.

A colorful digital illustration of a Richmond Map

This beautiful map, created by Richmond artist Jaqueline Sarah Brown, features some of the We Make Art in Richmond artists.

In-Person Drawing Class at the RAC

Photo of a pencil drawing of a transparent pitcher

Colored Glass. Graphite, 2022. This drawing of a pitcher is by former student Jeanette Nichols. Her work is currently on display at the Richmond Art Center’s Community Gallery.

An eight-week Wednesday afternoon (2-4 pm) class for absolute beginners where you will learn how to plan a drawing, how to figure out a composition, and how to measure the proportions of objects. You will learn which media to use, how to create a composition, how to measure and check size and proportions, creating volume though shading, and depicting various textures. All students will receive individual feedback and enjoy access to a treasure trove of online resources curated by your instructor. No class on 7/3. For questions about registration or parking, please call 510-620-6772 or email admin@richmondartcenter.org.

June-July Plein Air Painting

Photo of a painting done in Point Molate

Spend five weeks (June 7, 14, 28 and July 12 and 19) painting au plein air at several East Bay outdoor locations. Whether you are a beginner or a more advanced painting student, you'll enjoy discovering beginner-friendly painting spots, and improving your technique in the company of new friends.

This class covers a variety of topics: how to start a painting, choosing and mixing colors for landscape painting, brushwork, use of photos, and thinking in layers. You'll receive much or as little feedback as you desire. Use the media of your choice. We'll spend one session at each painting location, so that students can have sufficient time to complete a painting.

Join Me at Richmond Open Studios

This year, I will be selling in two places:

On August 17 from 11- 5 pm, I will have a table at the Richmond Art Center’s courtyard, together with 12 other Richmond artists. I will be selling prints, cards, and some smaller works. I will also be drawing portraits in charcoal as a way to celebrate my 40th year in California. Few of you know that I spent almost every Sunday of 1984 at the Luis Muñoz Rivera Park in San Juan drawing people, in order to save for my trip to San Francisco. I was already an art instructor in a middle school at 23, but they paid so little that I decided to try my hand at drawing $5 portraits and pretty soon there was a line of clients. On that Saturday, I will start at noon and will charge $50. because there’s been a lot of inflation since then!

On August 18, I will open my Richmond studio from 11-5 pm. As always, newsletter subscribers who have a need for a quieter environment can visit from 10 to 11 am. Email me if you’d like to do that. I will have all of my activist portraits on display, as well as a few newer original works. Any prints or cards left over from the day before will also be on sale. To continue the celebration, newsletter subscribers will get 20% off original works (paintings, watercolors, gouaches and original cards). Mention this discount when it’s time to pay!

Are you following me on social media? Here’s my artist page on FB
My IG handle is rebecathepainter, and I also post as rebecasartclasses. I do not post on TikTok.