"I have picked up Audrey's brochure at Hobby Lobby several times over the years, wanting to learn to draw realistic portraits. I graduated with a BFA in graphic design in 1987 from SMSU, was employed as an artist and got married to my sweetheart, Tim, all within a three month period. I worked for five years until I had my first son, and then came … [Read more...]
About Audrey Bottrell-Parks
Student Focus Karla Daniel
Meet student Karla Daniel! She is approaching her one year anniversary of taking classes with me. One of the best perks of teaching is watching your students grow in their skills. I thought you would like to see her progress. This photo is her initial drawing prior to instruction. She learned how to use her right side of the brain to … [Read more...]
5 Finishing Touches to Enhance Your Art
Doing great art is only part of the equation! How you present it within a mat or frame will either make or break it! In the upcoming Mat & Frame Workshop, I will address these 5 finishing touches to enhance your art, creative matting options and more! Placement and size of your signature. Where and how you place your signature can … [Read more...]
Whooooooo Wants to Learn Pastel????
In this upcoming 1 day workshop you will learn how to paint this owl with a minimum set of supplies. Of course, the more pastels you have to choose from the better and there are numerous brands and prices too. As you can see, this painting doesn't have a lot of color and our modest set of pastels will work just fine. Then and WHEN, you fall in … [Read more...]
Studying the Planes of the Face
Learning to draw the human face can be a bit of a challenge whether you are just getting started drawing or have been drawing for some time. Why is it so difficult? The very first recognizable drawing you did as a young child was actually a face. It looked more like Mr. Potato head than anything else. A large circle with dots for eyes and a … [Read more...]
The Joy of Drawing!
No matter how old you are, there is great joy in drawing! Learning at a young age makes it even better because you have all the more time to enjoy it. Drawing is a teachable skill, just like learning to write you name, yet so few learn to do it. Many think you have to be born with the talent to draw, but that's not true. Learning to draw is just … [Read more...]
Falling in Love with Pastels – Susan Loop
Pastels are a wonderful color medium that allow you to get rich , bold colors down rather quickly. Lightly sanded paper allows the pastels to blend into this rich creamy color, perfect for skin tones. After my students have gone through basic drawing skills and learned about value and color theory, they can move into color mediums like … [Read more...]
B2 Cafe Spring Student Exhibit
What a wonderful place to have our Art Reception and Exhibit! The staff was very helpful and the food was fabulous, as always! Live music was provided by Brian Hickman on cello and Kirsten Weiss on Violin. It added so much to our reception! You can view the art anytime at the B2 Cafe now until the end of June. Students range in age from 11 - … [Read more...]
Student’s Perspective: On Inspiration
As an art student, sometimes my greatest impediment to starting a drawing is waiting for some "magical" inspiration to strike-- a brilliant idea or just-right, in-the-zone feeling. A few weeks ago in art class we discussed this hesitation to launch into a new piece or finish one in progress. Audrey related her observation that her most successful … [Read more...]
Student Spotlight – Abby
Thirteen-year-old Abigail, known to her friends as Abby, is a student with an obvious enthusiasm for art. When she is drawing in class, it's often with a huge smile on her face. Abby wanted to draw her baby cousin as a gift for her aunt and uncle and decided that last Christmas would be the perfect time. The reference photo that she chose did … [Read more...]
