#11 The Big Warm Up

01/21/22 • 8 min

Big news: You can now listen to the DrawTogether Podcast on iTunes and Spotify! We’ll continue to share the podcast here in our DT Club Newsletter, and paying subscribers get additional behind the scenes tips, interviews, and inspiration. We count on your support to keep going, so please and thank you for your support!

And without further ado... Hit the play button above for the new podcast ep! We call it, “The Big Warm Up.”

Athletes warm up before a game. Musicians warm up before a performance. Should artists warm up before drawing? HECK YES WE SHOULD. On today’s DT podcast, we learn a quick warm up exercise to loosen the muscles and mind, get our blood flowing and heart pumping, and help us draw with our whole bodies.

Whether it’s making a cup of tea, putting on some music or doing some stretches, many artists do some kind of warm up to switch into making mode. The British painter Chris Ofili starts every day in his studio by creating a few abstract pencil drawings and loose watercolor portraits.

The American painter Wayne Thiebaud (who passed away a month ago at the age of 101) started his days with a game of tennis before heading to his studio to paint.

How about you? What gets you into the making mood? Share your warm up routine in the comments!

And PRIZES: Thanks to everyone who told us how you listen to the podcast. So happy to hear you’re all digging it. And our three winners are... Anna David, Linh Nguyen, and Cherylann Ganci! Congrats and please email [email protected] to claim your prize. Everyone else: more chances for DT Swag coming soon.

And as we say at the end of everything, including Friday newsletters: Everything is better when we DrawTogether. See you soon. <3

xo,w

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe

And without further ado... Hit the play button above for the new podcast ep! We call it, “The Big Warm Up.”

The American painter Wayne Thiebaud (who passed away a month ago at the age of 101) started his days with a game of tennis before heading to his studio to paint.

How about you? What gets you into the making mood? Share your warm up routine in the comments!

And as we say at the end of everything, including Friday newsletters: Everything is better when we DrawTogether. See you soon. <3

xo,w

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe

Previous Episode

#10 Thanks, Don't Mondrian if I Do!

Hey, friends. A new DrawTogether Podcast episode is here!!

And! A twist: in some upcoming episodes we’ll look to artists working in different mediums to inspire our drawing. We’ll learn a little about their artwork, how they make it and why, and then we’ll explore their work through drawing. Cool? Cool. Let’s go.

First up: Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. Like most artists, Mondrian’s work changed drastically over his lifetime. He explored different styles and for a long time he actually made a living by painting copies of other artists artworks. After decades of effort and experimentation, he arrived at the signature abstract style he is most known for (seen above.) In today’s episode we learn a little about why Mondrian painted like he did and the basic elements involved, then we use these elements to make a drawing of our own.

All you need is a piece of paper, a pen or pencil and three colors. (No worries if you don’t have colors, all good.) I’d **love** to see the composition you create. If you and your kids would like to share your drawings with the DT Community you can take a photo and post it on instagram and tag @DrawTogether.Studio. I’ll see it and share it out!

And! Let me know what you think of this direction in the comments. As always, if you/your kids/classrooms/families are digging this drawing podcast, please support by subscribing (just $60/year is a huge support!) and sharing this post and newsletter with your friends. It makes a giant difference. Thank you.

And as we say at the end of, well, everything: Everything is better when we DrawTogether.

xo,w

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe

Next Episode

#12 Drawing in the Air with Ruth Asawa

Hellllloooo! Happy Friday. It’s been less than a week since DrawTogether was featured on PBS NewsHour, and boy did we get a great response. A big welcome to all the new folks joining us! And to our longtime DT peeps: thanks for continuing to draw, look and love with us as the DT family grows. Onwards!

Our podcast drawing today is based the work of one of my favorite artists, Ruth Asawa. We explore her magnificent light-as-air wire sculptures using shape & line/pencil & paper. (Hit that play button above - or listen on iTunes or Spotify!)

I discuss a bit of Ruth’s work and life in the podcast, but her are a few more fun facts: Ruth Asawa was the quintessential maker. She used her HANDS and whatever materials were available. She focused as much on the process of making art as the outcome. And through all the changes and chapters in her life, she kept making art.

Ruth and her family were unjustly placed in a Japanese American internment camp during World War 2, and she kept on creating. She went on to study at the experimental Black Mountain College in North Carolina, and travelled to Mexico to see Diego Rivera’s murals and painting first hand. There, a local artisan taught her a basket weaving technique that became the basis for her wire sculptures.

Here are some traditional weaving techniques that look similar to Ruth’s wire work, and the drawing we do on today’s podcast.

And here’s a photo of Ruth weaving a wire sculpture based on technique she learned in Mexico. Or rather, here’s a photo of Ruth drawing in the air:

Ruth worked constantly. She was always folding paper, drawing on scratch paper, or looping wire... so you can imagine what life was like given she had six kids (!) always hoping for her attention. BIG NEWS: I’m interviewing Ruth Asawa’s son, Paul Lanier (a teaching artist himself) about growing up in a creative home and cultivating creativity in young people. I’ll share conversation with subscribers in the days ahead. If you’d like access to features like this, please support/subscribe here:

“An artist is not special. An artist is an ordinary person who can take ordinary things and make them special.” Ruth Asawa wove different techniques, cultures, identities and experiences into a tremendous life and body of work that continues to contribute so much to our creative humanity. She made, taught and tirelessly advocated for arts education. She drew in the air. Thank you Ruth Asawa.

I’d love to see your Ruth Asawa inspired drawings. After you listen to the podcast, take a photo and post it on instagram and tag @drawtogether.studio, and we’ll share it with the community.

Pencils up, friends. Everything is better when we DrawTogether.

xo,w

ps - You can now listen to the DrawTogether Podcast on iTunes and Spotify! Please subscribe over there and share it out with your friends. We appreciate it. <3

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe