To begin, just in case you lose interest in my review, here is the sum of my wisdom:
Chava is a gem, any student would be very lucky to have her as a mentor!!
I am a physician in my seventies; I decided I wanted to take art classes for a while to learn some additional painting skills. I already had a couple of local classes under my belt but they were very frustrating; the teachers were very good artists but worked on my paintings without explaining what they were doing. So in the end I really didn't feel I was learning much.
About a year ago, while buying some supplies at Blick Art Supplies, I found the tear-off flyer for a private art coach, so I gave her a call. Chava was willing to drive out to Manhattan Beach from Santa Monica to give me a few lessons?!
First lesson we sat down and discussed my artistic goals. She was willing to help me with whatever style of painting I wanted to try. My interests ranged from painting landscapes to still life so our early lessons focused on how to paint trees. This included a variety of textures, how to paint light and create dimension, how to mix a lot of different greens and how to paint shadows. Chava was always very patient as well as consistent about repeating things he'd learned from week to week so he'd eventually be able to think with the concepts and techniques for myself.
I actually built a little art studio for myself over the duration of my lessons with Chava. She helped me keep my canvases, paints, brushes and art reference resources organized and she was very good about making sure I had the colors and supplies that I needed. I liked the fact that she did a lot of demonstrating for me and helped me with paintings I started on my own. Also, unlike my previous art teachers, she never worked on my paintings to show me how to do something; she always wiped it off and made me do it myself. Chava is very supportive and knowledgeable and also has the patience of a saint. She kept things challenging without becoming too overwhelming.
During the time I was taking acrylics lessons from Chava, my children began to take notice that my paintings were getting better and better. My personal preference is impressionistic style brush strokes and she taught me how to do that without having to copy famous paintings, as many of the art classes around town do.
Eventually I moved from trees and landscapes to European waterfront paintings. I guess my paintings evolved so much I can't keep them from disappearing from my studio... absconded with by my children often before they have been completed.
As I said in the beginning, Chava is a gem, any student would be very lucky to have her as a mentor. read more
