#45 - Painting Demonstration at Inglis House

                     The artists at Inglis House watching the demonstration. Photo by Kate Farrell

                                               Progress of the still life. Photo by Kate Farrell

Dear Art Lovers:

On a recent morning, I had the privilege of giving a demonstration on painting to about 20 people living at Inglis House, which – among other things – provides long-term residential care for people with disabilities.  Inglis House (www.inglis.org) is west of Center City on Belmont Avenue not far from City Avenue.

Rhoda Kahler (www.rhodakahler.com), a sculptor who is Inglis’ artist in residence, had suggested that I show some of my own works and tell a little bit about myself and my painting career, which I did at the beginning of the session. Then, I began painting a still life made up of elements I brought in and placed on a table, while I talked about the methods I use, some of my ideas about painting, and a few personal anecdotes.

Thanks to the guidance of Rhoda and other artists, a good portion of the Inglis residents at the session are budding artists in their own right and dedicated to further developing their artistic skills. During the session, their attention was high and their comments thoughtful. They asked very detailed questions about things like composition, mixing colors, layering paint and the ingredients in oil paint, one subject where I had to admit some ignorance.     

Toward the end of the session, some of the residents asked me to comment on their paintings. Of course, the paintings are valid works of art. But what struck me most about them was their boldness – in color, form and freedom of expression.  

The session made me feel good. The artists at Inglis House are striving for more, and they’re willing to work.  I want to thank Rhoda and Kate Farrell, Inglis’ director of institutional giving, for making the session possible. 

If you want to learn more about Inglis House, I recommend you look at www.inglis.org. In particular, I found the video “Courage in Action at Inglis” on Inglis’ YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/InglisVideo ) inspiring.

Some Links for Inglis House:

www.inglis.org

www.youtube.com/user/InglisVideo

Thanks for listening.

Best, 

William