This is the perspective of the artist of the month,
Leslie Diamond.
is guesthouse in the hills of Santa Barbara represents a very
happy and productive time in my life and a new direction in my
painting.
I have been taking classes with Rob Kelman, on and o,
for more than 10 years. I had some previous experience
with watercolors and I've continued using them in our
classes. Rob suggested I branch out and use another
media, so I took the challenge of acrylic paint. e paint
and layering methods were so dierent and foreign to me.
It was frustrating, to say the least. With Rob's instruction
and encouragement, as to creativity, I came up with this
painting, my second attempt, using acrylics. Another
suggestion by Rob, to the class was to pre-paint our
canvas, also known as an "underpainting." Commonly
using one solid color, letting that color (I used a bright
pink) which peeks through your painting, resulting in a
totally new dimension on this piece.
I highly recommend taking this class. We always learn
something new, from Rob or each other, whether we're
beginners or more advanced. We give each other our
suggestions, based on our experience, as well as a lot of
shared encouragement. Try it — you'll like it!
Come and join us. Classes are held on Mondays from 10 am to 12
noon and/or Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8 pm. If you have any
questions, call Rob at (951) 992-9156. ~ Rob Kelman
52 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | DECEMBER 2024
Mixed Media Arts
happy and productive time in my life and a new direction in my
