July 18-19, 2013

The Elements of Dynamic Composition with Robert Way

Medium of Choice, All Levels

Tuition: $190

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Why does a well-painted picture often lack the “punch” that would make it an award winner? Very often the problem is a weak composition. Rediscover the methods used by the ancient masters to design and compose their magnificent and enduring works of art. Learn a simplified, guaranteed approach to designing your own strong, well balanced, and beautifully composed work of art. Acquire the knowledge that will elevate your artwork to the dynamic levels you desire but may have had difficulty achieving. Whether you are a novice or an advanced artist, these timeless principles provide the certain advantage you need to achieve a greater degree of perfection in your artwork.

Norman Rockwell said of this approach to composition that, “Even a clumsy amateur with hands like ham bones could create a beautiful painting.” Emile Gruppe taught that, “You can take a good design, throw it on the floor, and it will look interesting no matter how it lands.” And, “A well designed picture will practically paint itself.”

Robert Way

RobertWay Beginning with copying characters from comic books in elementary school, it was my complete purpose in life to become an artist. It was my dream to work for Walt Disney. When I received my first art award in the seventh grade, my course was set and determined. I have had to follow a variety of paths, some detracting from my goal, but never have I been far from my purpose.

Though I never worked for Walt Disney and the pursuit of my goal to work as an artist was delayed by a career as a US Army Special Forces (Green Beret) Soldier, my life’s experience has provided a wellspring of inspiration for paintings that will fill years yet to come.

As a native of New England, I was immersed in the culture of that region. Art in its myriad forms: visual, theatrical, and musical, was an element of the air I breathed. Whether skipping stones across Walden Pond where Thoreau recorded the stirrings of his soul; watching the water flow beneath the old Concord Bridge where the price of our liberty was determined; soaking up the atmosphere of Harvard Square; relishing the spirit residing in the studio and grounds of the sculptor Augustus St. Gaudens or the painter Maxfield Parrish; developing character from association with characters like Norman Rockwell and Eric Sloane; learning to recognize “childlife” in our grownup world while at the dinner table with Maurice Sendak; or roaming endlessly through the halls of our most renowned art museums; I was endowed with an incredible desire for independent learning and a craving to create works of art.

My formative years were spent sharing an art room with Richard Whitney and we were both privileged to learn the fundamentals of our craft from art teachers Raymond Descoteaux and Norma Safford. I was fortunate to gather so much of the spirit of painting from venerable New England artists such as Arthur Herrick and Tom Curtain. The Rockport, Massachusetts watercolorist, John Manship, son of the sculptor Paul Manship, New York artists Flora Giffuni, founder of the Pastel Society of America, and Eve Dawson, mentored me. I learned much of my style and the painting craft while working with Tom Blackwell, one of the original Photo Realists. Much of what I have learned about the art of portrait painting was gleaned at the side of artists Michael Del Priore, Richard Whitney, Frank Tauriello, William F. Draper, Bert Silverman, Everett Raymond Kinstler, and Daniel Greene.

Before and after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and working as a teacher and principal, most of my adult life has been spent teaching drawing and painting publicly and privately. My work has hung in many one-man shows and juried group exhibitions in New York City, Europe, New England, Florida, and North Carolina. These include the American Watercolor Society, Pastel Society of America, and the American Arts Club, all in New York City, the Freie Berliner Kunst Austellung (Free Berlin Art Exhibition) in Berlin, Germany, and the Copley Society of Boston.

My credits include: a commission by the Thorne Sagendorf Art Museum, Keene State College, NH, for the President’s Bicentennial Collection; a large wall sculpture commissioned by the Keene, NH, YMCA; winner of the United States and Worldwide All-Army Art Contest; first place winner in oil painting (2005) and drawing (2006) as well as People’s Choice Award (2005) at the Arts Council of Moore County, NC, and many portrait commissions of individuals, pets, and buildings. I was also an Artist in Residence for a public school system.

I am a member of the American Society of Portrait Artists, the New York Society of Portrait Artists, and the Portrait Society of America. My work is represented in many public and private collections worldwide, to include the Cornish Colony Museum in Winsor, Vermont.

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