Rebranding

Earlier this year The Center for Academic Study and Naturalist Painting became The Masters Academy of Art. A current list of classes and program descriptions can be found at www.mastersacademyofart.com. We are excited for this fresh start and hope to continue to educate young artists on how to become the master artists they can become.

Special Event Invitation

CAS Lecture Series:
The Educational Lineage of the CAS, part 1

The CAS curriculum is the culmination of hundreds of years of master artists passing down their knowledge from generation to generation. CAS assistant director, Katie Liddiard, is presenting the first part of her two part lecture The Educational Lineage of the CAS. It traces our roots from Jacques-Louis David through Jean Leon Gerome. We'll learn about the different lives and temperaments of the artists and discover how much the current events of the time influenced the art that was produced.

Lectures are, as always, free and open to the public, so we invite everyone to come and participate. Refreshments will be served.

Friday, September 25, 2015
6:00 p.m.
CAS Studio: 43 E. 200 S. Springville, Utah 84663

News, September 2015

New  Weekly Evening and Saturday Classes at the CAS   After a long Summer break students and faculty at the CAS are getting prepared to get back in the swing of things. With the new trimester come new classes which have been opened up to the public. All skill levels are welcome. Students must provide own materials, but a suggested materials list from the instructor will be available upon request. We hope you'll join us!  Portrait Drawing/ Painting* Instructor: Brock Alius When: Every Wednesday 6 p.m.- 9 p.m. Tuition: $45/month (uninstructed), $90/month (instructed). 4 sessions per month. Includes model fees Class will cover the fundamentals of drawing a successful portrait from life. Discussing how to achieve proper proportions, capture a likeness, properly describe form and lighting, attain structure, and simplify detail to ultimately achieve a convincing, beautiful, and truthful depiction of the subject. *Painting will be allowed only to students of adequate skill level.  Portrait Drawing/ Painting* Instructor: Brock Alius When: Every Saturday 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Tuition: $200/month. 4 sessions per month. Includes model fees Class will cover the fundamentals of drawing a successful portrait from life. Discussing how to achieve proper proportions, capture a likeness, properly describe form and lighting, attain structure, and simplify detail to ultimately achieve a convincing, beautiful, and truthful depiction of the subject. *Painting will be allowed only to students of adequate skill level.  Paint En Plein Air Instructor: Katie Liddiard When: Every Saturday 3 p.m.- 7 p.m. Tuition: $90/month. 4 sessions per month. Painting in the beautiful canyons and scenic valley views around Springville, this class will discuss how to break down the sometimes overwhelming information of the landscape, and how to get the most out of your studies in the field. Student must provide own means of getting to and from painting sites as carpools may not always be available. If you are interested in any of these classes, please email info@cas-utah.com for more information. Sign up quickly, and don't miss out! Space is limited.

CAS Assistant Director recounts her Hudson River Fellowship Experience The Hudson River School dates back to the mid-nineteenth century when painters in Northeast America, particularly the Hudson River Valley, painted en plein air and took their studies back to the studio to use in making a larger paintings. The Grand Central Atelier has attempted to revamp the Hudson River School with an annual Fellowship. Awarding 20 artists the opportunity to immerse themselves in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire, participants spend three weeks painting, talking about art, and forming lasting friendships. They are encouraged to take the studies they made while on the fellowship back to their studios to compose a larger piece.  CAS Assistant Director, Katie Liddiard, was one of the lucky few to be chosen to participate the past two years and her love for painting the landscape has been cemented through these experiences. "It's all art, all day," she says, adding, "We would wake up (sometimes before sunrise), pack up lunch, and we're out the door until after painting the sunset. After that we'd congregate to eat dinner and talk art. It's  an absolutely magical thing to connect with other artists who are just as passionate as you about their craft and want to learn more. We would offer critiques, encourage one another, and glean information from each other since all of us were from different backgrounds. Even though we all had to disband after the fellowship, distance hasn't dampened our friendship. In the art world having friends you can trust to give you honest feedback about your work is invaluable, and I definitely made those sorts of relationships at the fellowship." Just as the old masters of the Hudson River School, Katie is now composing a piece based off of her studies while in New Hampshire. She says she's anxious to start painting it, but won't until the composition is just right. For more information about the Hudson River School, go to http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hurs/hd_hurs.htm. For more information about the Hudson River Fellowship, go to http://grandcentralatelier.org/hudson-river-fellowship.php.

CAS Summer 2015 Workshops Recap

Every Summer the CAS hosts several workshops bringing great new learning experiences that turn into treasured memories for all the participants, and this year was no exception.


We started out Summer Break with CAS director Ryan Brown teaching a 5 day sight size portrait workshop. Participants got one on one instruction on how to break down and accurately see the portrait of the model they were painting or drawing. Summer scholarship winner, Christelle Xu, was one of the participants as her scholarship covered her tuition costs for the workshop.


Then we got the special treat of hosting Edward Minoff as he taught his 5 day portrait workshop. Starting out with drawing, then into grisaille painting, and on to full color painting. By the end of the week our heads hurt from Edward's vast knowledge of form that he was so gracious enough to share so freely.


The final workshop of the summer was Ryan Brown's Plein Air workshop. Students got some fresh mountain air as they painted every afternoon in the gorgeous light of Hobble Creek Canyon. Summer Scholarship winner, Neldon Bullock, was one of the participants as his scholarship covered his tuition costs for the workshop.

We had a fantastic summer learning new techniques during these workshops, and now we're excited to apply what we learned to our work during the upcoming school year.
If you'd like more information about any of the workshops discussed here, or any future workshops, please email info@cas-utah.com

News, August 2015

CAS Summer 2015 Sight-Size Portrait Workshop   School is out for the Summer which means workshop season is underway. Here's a few shots of director of the CAS, Ryan Brown, teaching a great group of participants. We're excited to see what they come up with by the end of the week. Workshops are great opportunities to learn from artists you've always admired, but without any long term time and money commitments. At the CAS we make sure we offer the highest quality workshops we can, so you can be sure that you get your money's worth and will leave feeling like you really learned something. For more information on upcoming workshops at the CAS scroll down, or visit our website www.cas-utah.com.

CAS Summer 2015 Workshop Schedule The Summer Workshop Schedule has begun, but there's still time and a few more spaces to sign up for the last two workshops. Act fast by calling 801.822.8802 or 801.822.2178 to find out more information and to sign up. You don't want to miss out on these amazing opportunities to study with some of today's leading artists.  Here's a list of the rest of the CAS' Summer 2015 Workshops:  Painting the Portrait  Taught by Edward Minoff Workshop dates: August 17-21 Tuition: $625 Reservation deadline: August 16, 2015 Each day will bring a new pose, building towards painting convincing and lifelike portrait sketches. More information may be found at cas-utah.com Plein Air Landscape Taught by Ryan S. Brown Workshop dates: August 24-28 Tuition: $400 Reservation deadline: August 23, 2015 Every day is spent in the field, painting and discussing the stages of development for a plein air landscape sketch. More information may be found at cas-utah.com

 

Ryan S. Brown's results for competing in ARA Boston's Figure Painting Competition 

Boston saw some great painting during the last week of July. Highly talented artists such as Shane Wolf, Carlo Russo, and Elizabeth Zanzinger just to name a few gathered together at the Academy of Realist Art, Boston for their first annual Figure Painting Competition. Director of the CAS, Ryan Brown, was one of the lucky few to be invited to attend and he sure didn't disappoint viewers with his outstanding knowledge for painting the figure. At the end of the week voting was opened up to the public and Ryan received the Viewer's Choice Award. His painting looks great and represented the CAS well. Great job Ryan! More information about the competition may be found at http://us7.campaign-archive1.com/?u=6babe2a57f5f9861032fbb62b&id=5a2017da24.

News, June 2015

CAS Paint En Plein Air Student Competition Winners   Many talented students applied to the CAS Paint En Plein Air Student Competition, but unfortunately only three could take away one of the Grand Prize Packages. It was a lot to ask judges Ryan Brown, Carlo Russo, and Kate Sammons to narrow down all of the applications to the top five, so to ask them to pick the top three out of those five was strenuous. The winners: Julie Beck- Academy of Realist Art Boston Emilae Belo- The Center for Academic Study Leeanna Chipana- Grand Central Atelier We'd like to wish the winners a huge congratulations. It is well deserved.   All three will receive a prize package fit for a budding professional artist. With sponsors like Raymar Art, Natural Pigments, Soltek Easel, Strada Easel, Guerrilla Box, Rosemary and Co., Trekell, Gamblin, ArtEfex, Kolibri Brushes, and Jerry's Artarama these student artists know they're getting quality materials with which to start their career.

CAS Summer 2015 Workshop Schedule Every Summer the CAS hosts several workshops bringing great new learning experiences that turn into treasured memories for all the participants. Here's a list of this year's workshops:  Sight-Size Portrait Drawing & Painting  Taught by Ryan S. Brown Workshop dates: August 10-14 Tuition: $450 Reservation deadline: July 1, 2015 This unique workshop will pair only two artists per model as participants work in "sight-size", allowing for thorough study of the development of a classical portrait. More information may be found at cas-utah.com Painting the Portrait  Taught by Edward Minoff Workshop dates: August 17-21 Tuition: $625 Reservation deadline: July 1, 2015 Each day will bring a new pose, building towards painting convincing and lifelike portrait sketches. More information may be found at cas-utah.com Plein Air Landscape Taught by Ryan S. Brown Workshop dates: August 24-28 Tuition: $400 Reservation deadline: July 1, 2015 Every day is spent in the field, painting and discussing the stages of development for a plein air landscape sketch. More information may be found at cas-utah.com Painting Italy Taught by Ryan S. Brown Workshop dates: August 31- September 5 Tuition: $1650 (does not include airfare) Reservation deadline: June 15, 2015 This amazing workshop will be held at the Punta Ala Resort on the Mediterranean in the Tuscany region of Italy. 6 days and 5 nights will be spent painting seascapes, forest interiors, Tuscan villas, and many other quintessential Italian scenes. More information may be found at cas-utah.com

New Students at the CAS Thanks to the 2015 Summer Scholarship Competition

The CAS got a couple new full time students recently. Grand prize winner of the 2nd annual CAS Summer Scholarship Competition, Meghan Sours, recently started her tuition free month-long studies and is well into her first Bargue copy. However, Second place winner, Christelle Xu, decided, upon visiting the studio after she won, that she wanted to study full time through the whole Spring trimester. She just passed off her first Bargue copy and is getting ready to tackle a new one. Christelle's prize will come in August when we hold the 5 day Sight-Size Portrait Workshop which she will be able to attend tuition free. We're happy to have them here at the CAS.

But we can't forget our Third place winner, Neldon Bullock. He has the opportunity to attend the 5 day Plein Air Landscape Painting Workshop in August tuition free. We're looking forward to working with him this Summer in the beautiful landscape that surrounds Springville, Utah.

We couldn't be more pleased with the winners' talent and dedication to learning more about their craft. All of them are definitely worthy of the prizes they won. Good job artists!

News, May 2015

CAS Paint En Plein Air Student Competition Being a professional artist can be expensive. Buying professional grade equipment and materials can quickly add up which can be daunting for students. This often leads to students using lesser quality materials. The CAS Paint En Plein Air Student Competition is aimed specifically toward students for this reason. Three prize packages will have everything a student needs to get started- including plein air boxes, brushes, paints, mediums, panels, and more- encouraging them to get outside and paint! For information on prizes, judges, and how to apply visit cas-utah.com. Application deadline: May 15, 2015

CAS Summer 2015 Workshop Schedule Every Summer the CAS hosts several workshops bringing great new learning experiences that turn into treasured memories for all the participants. Here's a list of this year's workshops:  Sight-Size Portrait Drawing & Painting  Taught by Ryan S. Brown Workshop dates: August 10-14 Tuition: $450 Reservation deadline: July 1, 2015 This unique workshop will pair only two artists per model as participants work in "sight-size", allowing for thorough study of the development of a classical portrait. More information may be found at cas-utah.com Painting the Portrait  Taught by Edward Minoff Workshop dates: August 17-21 Tuition: $625 Reservation deadline: July 1, 2015 Each day will bring a new pose, building towards painting convincing and lifelike portrait sketches. More information may be found at cas-utah.com Plein Air Landscape Taught by Ryan S. Brown Workshop dates: August 24-28 Tuition: $400 Reservation deadline: July 1, 2015 Every day is spent in the field, painting and discussing the stages of development for a plein air landscape sketch. More information may be found at cas-utah.com Painting Italy Taught by Ryan S. Brown Workshop dates: August 31- September 5 Tuition: $1650 (does not include airfare) Reservation deadline: June 15, 2015 This amazing workshop will be held at the Punta Ala Resort on the Mediterranean in the Tuscany region of Italy. 6 days and 5 nights will be spent painting seascapes, forest interiors, Tuscan villas, and many other quintessential Italian scenes. More information may be found at cas-utah.com

 

A CAS Student in Need

Taryn Blackburn is a dedicated mother with a love for art. She's been dreaming about becoming an artist since she was a young girl and finally has the opportunity to study full time at the CAS this Summer.
She's saved up as much money as she could and moved her family from another state in order to receive the education she so desperately desires. But Taryn still needs some help. She has set up a fund at gofundme.com to try and raise only $850 more, ensuring her children, housing, and tuition are fully covered for the Summer.
If you would like to help Taryn visit www.gofundme.com/tarynart. 

Fraud? Really?

Recently there have been suspicions and claims of fraud from some people over social media. I'm here to set the record straight and to try to understand their claims.

Two photos were presented as portrait paintings of Sonja. One was painted by CAS director Ryan Brown, and the other was painted by me, Katie Liddiard.

Sonja, 20"x 24" Oil on linen
by Ryan Brown

Sonja, 18"x 24" Oil on panel
by Katie Liddiard

The claim is that I copied Ryan's work and that I'm trying to pass it off as my own. This couldn't be farther from the truth. It's true, the positions are similar, but I would argue that the handling of each portrait is very different.

So a little back story on how this all came to be-

Sonja is a tried and true model for the CAS. She's posed for us countless times and is an absolute beautiful woman. So when Ryan posed the idea of painting a portrait with Brock Alius and I, it was a no brainer that we would ask Sonja to sit for us. We opened the session up to other students as well. In total there were about 6 of us gathered around the model, sharing the expenses to have her pose for us 6 hours a day/ 5 days a week for a month. As per protocol at the CAS for picking spots in the model room, the head of the school (Ryan) picks first, then top student,  then the next best student, and so on and so forth. Ryan picked his spot based on what he wanted to capture in the beauty of the pose, and chose to sit down to paint the portrait. Sonja's profile is extremely beautiful and I chose a spot where I could try to capture it. That spot happened to be behind and slightly to the side of Ryan. Everyone else in the room picked their spots around the model based on what they wanted to capture in their work.

Sonja is very beautiful, but her features can be elusive. This painting, quite honestly, was difficult for me, though I'm not disappointed with the outcome. Ryan's is extremely beautiful and I think captured her very well. I'd buy his piece in a heartbeat if I could afford it. If anyone wants to see the progression shots he did, you can see them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbpLLwKD3P8 . He has far more experience than I do at painting portraits, especially at the time that we painted this particular pose. 

So my question is where is the "fraud"? The person on social media said she would never promote a work that was similar to a colleague's or teacher's work. But why? Because the teacher or colleague deserves all the recognition? Because the teacher or colleague has more of a name for themselves so they get first and only claim to promote their work of a particular pose when others worked on it as well? Perhaps because the teacher or colleague is a man? Though I would hope that's not the reason. Maybe because the teacher or colleague shot progression photos, so that gives him first and only claim to the pose? Because the teacher or colleague was first to send theirs to a gallery? I don't think so. 

Ryan has made more of a name for himself because he's been a professional painter for a while now. That gave him the confidence and ability to shoot the progression photos and come up with a really nice piece. I could have shot progression photos of my piece, but it would not have been so inspiring because there was a lot of fussing over it. Ryan did get his framed and sent out to a gallery before I did because of all of my fussing, but when I did finally send mine out I sent it to a different gallery. Never once did Ryan say, "Hey, you can't show that! It looks like mine!" And why would he? He's not threatened by me, nor I him. We're completely supportive of each other and the pieces were done independently, though from the same pose. 

This idea of artists working for the same pose is not, by any means, new. Here's an example of two, extremely talented professional artists from the 19th century working alongside each other. The paintings are similar, but they are by no means the same. 

Unexpected Intrusion or Boy Feeding Parrot, 1876
by William Merritt Chase

The Turkish Page, 1876
by Frank Duveneck

So which one, using the logic introduced by the person on social media, would have gotten the opportunity to promote their piece? The answer is that both of them showed their pieces. Because they're both works of art.

Look through any academy's photo album.

Students and instructors of the CAS working from the same model.

You'll see students and teachers consistently working side by side. This is how the students learn from each other and from their instructor. Here's some pieces from some of our students at the CAS showing this exact principle. 

Brian Johnson

Emilae Belo

Randy Peay

All are figure studies of Alexanna in the same pose, so all probably have similar titles. So if one person chooses to frame and send their piece to a gallery, do the others not get that opportunity? Seems silly. 

I hope this sheds some light on the issue for those confused as to how can I feel morally and legally okay about showing, and hopefully selling, my portrait of Sonja when Ryan has a piece similar to it. There is no foul play involved. I would never knowingly pass something off as my own if it weren't. Ryan and I have known each other for a long time and care for and support each other a great deal. He would never want me to not promote my work because one of his paintings is similar. "Similar" is not "same".