Breaking through Artist Block; Finding Inspiration

Breaking through Artist Block; Finding Inspiration

Instructor: Layne Cook Johnson

This workshop is designed to suggest new ways to find material and inspiration for artwork. It is best suited for painters, but other artists may find it useful as well. Layne’s “secret tool” is an app called Brushstroke that helps her manipulate photos to see new possibilities. The goal is not to create a finished digital painting to copy, but to help the artist formulate a composition and envision how best to use their own techniques to create a finished work of art. Layne will lead you through the process of using this App with your own photos.

Students can just observe or bring their iPad with Brushstrokes App downloaded on it. Please only download the original version and NOT the pro one.

 
 
Date:  January 17, 2025
Time: 12:00  – 3:00 PM
Location: SRAL Studio
Maximum Number of Students: 16

Biography
Layne was born in Seattle, Washington and raised in Portland, Oregon. She moved back to Seattle in 1969 to attend the University of Washington. She received a BA degree in art in 1973. The majority of Layne’s working years were spent as a kitchen designer in Bellevue, WA. In 2001, she and her husband quit their jobs to take a six-month driving trip around the U.S and Canada in a VW Eurovan. It was during this time that she made the decision to seriously pursue her passion for art in the form of painting. She has been actively painting and exhibiting since then and has work in many private collections as well as in Harborview Hospital, Swedish Hospital, Hotel Max, International Kitchens, Ryan Swanson and Cleveland law firm, and other corporations and institutions. She currently exhibits in galleries in Sisters, Oregon and Carmel, California.

Artist Statement
As an art student in the early 70’s, I found that my interest lay in the applied arts, specifically textile printing and design. I did some painting, but often was at a loss for subject matter. Now, some 50 years later, the ideas flow faster than I can implement them; I like to think that my experience and broader outlook as an older person have contributed to this creative energy. I am fascinated by all aspects of painting; the power of a good composition, the role of light and shadows, the use of color and the value of restraint in using color, the juiciness of paint applied heavily with brush or palette knife. I enjoy painting all kinds of subjects but favor the human form and rural buildings. I recently have taken an interest in painting abstracts and find that to be an exciting challenge. I also work in clay, and (no surprise) I enjoy the glazing process the most. I make things to “paint” on. I delight in the process of working out every painting, whether on canvas, board or clay, and hope that some of that joy is conveyed to the viewer through my work.

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