Description
After three successful years, what used to be an online painting class offered during covid, is now part of our yearly programming. This unique online painting class proved to be a necessity for art lovers coming from both hemispheres. An international community now seems to be developing in connection with this course. Why?
“Painting Resource – Rendering Visible the Invisible” is a stimulating weekly online art course emphasizing self-expression via personal stories since it is stories that link us all. This 11-week virtual is a unique mix of painting, art history/theory, weekly evaluations, and long pleasant discussions among peers. This art class will undoubtedly help you bring your art to the next level.
Although this class is for everyone, however, the participants should be at ease in their medium. The teaching begins at your level (from beginner to advanced) and we move on. You will be invited to stretch within and outside the boundaries of your own art to meet the challenges and opportunities of your time. Knowing that creativity comes from everywhere and everything, another purpose of this class is to help you fully express new stories, through the medium of your choice.
What should I paint? Why am I repeating? Why am I imitating? Where lies my creativity? How can I recognize my painting “problem”? In brief, how can I become authentic as an emerging artist?
In order to broaden your art practice, together as a group, we will answer these matters, crucial to art-making :What is an Art World? How do I market my art? What is an artistic statement and why it is important to have one? How can I maintain a contemporary relevance in today’s art world?
This class has been taught for more than 20 years at the Ottawa School of Art (Ottawa, Canada), and now is going international thanks to the Internet. If by any chance you are a sculptor or a printer, this class is also for you since art (as in a “work of art”) is foremost an expression of the self, manifested in a novel and personal way.
To ensure proper feedback this class is open to only 12 participants. Therefore, please, register very soon.
What you will acquire in this class
Painting techniques | Culture | Reasoning | Abstract Thinking | Critical Thinking
APPROACH
- A live Zoom art class (synchronous) with in-depth human interaction.
- There are thousands of art instruction videos on the Web and they are very useful for learning techniques. These videos show the artists’ step by step procedure. However, they do not involve the underlying philosophical thinking behind the creative process. This is our unique niche.
- It is a blend of art history, art theory, group discussions, and of course the action of painting itself.
- The medium of your choice.
- Each class is 3 hours — by previous on-line instruction, we found that it was the appropriate amount of time for such a class.
- We strongly recommend that you start painting 30 to 60 minutes before the official beginning of the class; the virtual classroom will be opened.
- Once a week, you will have the chance to send by email your current work in production to be commented on by the instructor.
ALSO INCLUDED
A full web page on Walk the Arts website (1 year), a guest artist, or curator, or gallerist who will comment positively on your work (last class).
YVES M. LAROCQUE, YOUR MODERATOR
Your facilitator or moderator Yves M. Larocque holds a B.F.A. from the University of Ottawa, and a Doctorate in Art History from La Sorbonne (Paris) and has been teaching painting and art history in Ottawa (Canada) for more than 30 years. He has exhibited widely and today, his art teaching takes most of his time. He was a guest professor for Canadian and American colleges and various radio interviews such as the CBC and Radio-Canada. He gave many conferences mostly in France and the United States. He has published in peer review art periodicals in France and Canada; he is fluently bilingual (English and French). His strength is listening, making him one of the most sought-painting instructors in the Canadian national capital. Many of his students have become accomplished artists and show in reputable galleries.
Syllabus
You arrive to your own makeshift classroom as if you were arriving in the real college or art school classroom. Your instructor (facilitator or moderator) is always beside you via Zoom for any questions, any comments. See him as a kind of “consultant” for your art/creative/painting approach. He knows how to advise so you may escape all the great traps of art such as muddy colors, bad composition, the repetition of history, bland subject, etc. Consider this full course the unique weekly opportunity to bestow yourself to art-making; to dedicate all your creative potential energy to what we truly mean by “art”.
- Paint with conviction;
- Dedicate the whole semester to a series of paintings on one specific theme, one precise story;
- Under our guidance, do your best to unleash your creativity.
The class will be usually divided into three sections: 1) a specific topic derived form art history or art theory for a firmer grasp on your painting, 2) you! painting with the instructor always beside you, and 3) a group conclusion. The following syllabus may vary according to the class participants.



Week
1
US & CAN September 6
AU September 7
Arthur Danto’s Artworld and your art-world.
Where am I?
What do I paint?
Where do I want to be?
The act of painting
Week
2
US & CAN September 13
AU September 14
A look at Marcel Duchamp’s notorious “Fontaine”.
The act of painting
Week
3
US & CAN September 20
AU September 21
The act of painting
The act of painting
Week
4
US & CAN October 18
AU October 19
It is always good to tweek on it. It is an endless process.
The act of painting
Week
5
US & CAN October 25
AU October 26
Completing works for the first constructive crit as a group.
Week
6
US & CAN November 8
AU November 9
The first positive crit among ourselves
Mid crit while all dining in our studio. A menu built from our book Let Go! The Artist’s Way of Cooking will be sent.
Week
7
US & CAN November 15
AU November 16
You have a problem to let go! Let’s learn from the Surrealists, via the main ideas written in André Breton’s two manifestoes.
The act of painting
Week
8
US & CAN November 22
AU November 23
The act of painting
Week
9
US & CAN November 28
AU November 29
The fear of any radio host is “dead air”, and for any guest, the fear is to be speechless in front of the microphone. This class is to coach you on how to be comfortable during your future radio interview when talking about your art. The secret? Know what you are talking about (ref. class Week 9, Your artistic statement)
The act of painting
Week
10
US & CAN December 6
AU December 7
Completing works for the final constructive crit with guest artist or gallerist.
Week
11
US & CAN December 13
AU December 14
The final crit
Final crit with a guest artist or gallerist. Name to be announced.
Debriefing among each others, when crit leaves the class.
Testimonials
“Thanks again for your great interest in art — and in all that your students do…..We are all fortunate to have you in our lives…” (J. Hayney, Ottawa, Canada)
“Yves has really artistically influenced me to be the conceptual visual artist that I’am today. He has taught me to always look for new imaginative avenues of the unexpected for my art.” (JD. Powell, Ottawa, Canada)
“You’ve given me so much to think about! Your philosophy was impactful and thought-provoking!” (S. Sohn, Detroit, MI, USA, 2018)
“I was encouraged throughout the art workshop to let the process of art-making lead me. This mindfulness led me to breakthroughs in my process and to a new way of seeing and expressing myself in the paint. There was also a good sense of accomplishment and a very exciting feeling of reward when my paintings were finished in Italy. Thank you!” (K. Wilkie, London, Canada, 2017)
“The universe brought me to you and for this, I am very grateful. A good teacher is a rare and special treat and should be celebrated…thank you for sharing your light with me…and thank you for all my fellow students who also enriched my soul.” (E. Léger, OSA, Ottawa, 2016)
“Thank you for your teaching, encouraging words, new insights… I look forward to a new direction in art.” (L. Hiesley, Adelaide, Australia, 2012)
“Yves is a teacher who knows how to get the potential of his students. He makes us dive in the depth of who we are.” (Le Droit, Feb. 26, 1999)
« You gave me such great guidance and critic and I have found my style and continue to paint with joy in my heart.” (S. Brough, Adelaide, Australia, 2020)
Since 1997 Walk the Arts (icscis inc.) has been offering top quality painting workshops, art classes, and art history tours in Italy, France, Colombia, Spain, and the United States.
© 2021 Walk the Arts
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