Aqua Green, 2007, Oil on Panel, 24x30I have been keeping tabs on the workshop schedule at the National Academy in NYC. Wolf Kahn usually teaches a workshop there in late winter and I was hoping to be able to take it. Finally it showed up on the website and was set for this coming weekend, February 24&25. After looking at our schedule I realized that I could go to the city that weekend and so when the registration began on December 18, I called at 9am. Busy. I tried again. Still busy. When I finally got through about 20 minutes later, I was told that the class was full and I would be put on the waiting list. I chatted with the lady on the phone, hoping to butter her up a bit, but she told me that there had been a line of people waiting to register at the office, since 5am. It seemed clear that I had no chance to get in this year, and I was surprisingly disappointed. Actually taking the workshop seemed like a pain in the neck, dragging pastels and other materials down to the city on the train, on the subway, in the snow, etc, but I was so looking forward to meeting Mr. Kahn.
I'll try again next year, however I guess there is a good chance that he won't be teaching too many more workshops, given his age. But maybe I'll pull out my pastels and play around with them a bit this weekend. That would be nice.
PS. For those of you who may be new readers here, I have written about Wolf Kahn here and here.
11 comments:
Very pleasing!
Wow. I'm sorry you didn't get to register, but I do love that there are places in this world where people line up at the crack of dawn for art workshops, rather than movie tickets. Restores my faith, just a bit.
Also, I just recently found your blog (just recently picked up my painting again myself) and just LOVE your landscapes. The colors are so vibrant.
Thanks Rick!
Laura, you are right about people lining up for a workshop. Very cool and I sure wish I had thought about doing it! Thanks for the compliment about my work.
Ho hum. I think I'll just take a train down to NYC and see if I can get into the Wolf Kahn workshop.
Right, Tracy! Try, I tell my wife about it, and she says (we are flat broke) "we'll figure out a way. You gotta go"!
I call the very nice receptionist, too. Same story as you. Try next year.
So much for the last minute cross-country plane ride.
I actually do have a friend who knows WK, but I'm afraid to ask for the coffee gig. You have more courage than me, I'm afraid.
I understand that there are some eye issues with WK, but that's all my friend said.
I did get into the A-Y gallery, after the same closed door hassle you experienced. I wore a tie and jacket, and the treatment I got was wonderful. They do tend to intimidate, if you'll let them. But, the gallery person pulled 7 of his pastels from the back for me to oogle, and presented me with the last catalog they published of his pastel works. It's a prized goody.
His layering in oils is fantastic - the result of years of toil with the medium. Pushing it to the edge, over the edge, and back again. Wild stuff.
Love your barns, Tracy. Save me a seat next year at the WK workshop!
I am having trouble getting into a gallery in Park City, after she first contacted me, but then backed off because of my similarity to another artist who already shows in the town.
AAArgg. The great thing is, it pushes me to go beyond the tag line description of what I do, so that I can explain my art to anyone who has an interest.
My point: I very much enjoy being "like" Wolf Kahn, myself. His work is hard to emulate with any success. If one can get close to his color sense, it is an achievement. I am careful not to copy (which I am mortified to do), but I look as closely as possible at his color choices, and art decisions that he makes on the canvas, and glean what I can.
I read what Ed said about Kahn being "not on" sometimes. They said that of Bob Dylan, too.
I disagree, but then I happen to be a big fan, don't I.
Also your fan, Tracy. Your layering of colors is masterful!
This painting is absolutely gorgeous. Absolutely love the overall composition and lovely colors!
By the way, so sorry to hear about the workshop scenario. I'm sure it would have been a wonderful experience. Maybe next year your dream will come true.
Lovely painting Tracy.
And enjoy the pastels. I hope you have some exciting Degas moments with them!...
James
Hi Casey, I had a feeling that you wanted to take that workshop too! Good luck next year. Wolf Kahn has macular degeneration and he discussed it in a video that we saw at the Museum in Brattleboro.
I think Wolf Kahn has done plenty of work that doesn't have "that thing" that many of them have. I am comforted by that, as I certainly do plenty of of work that falls short too. Nice to see that well known and more experienced artists have the same issues.
Thanks June, If he does the workshop next year, and IF I can go, I'll try again.
Thanks James, A Degas moment would be nice, but I may have to settle for just getting the color on to the paper:) It's been awhile!
I'm really glad I came to this post late Tracy - the comments have been as good as the original post - and nice to see fellow bloggers here as well (Hi Casey and Laura!)
I'd like to blog a link to your post. It's just to make another friend of mine who is a Wolf Kahn fan insanely jealous that you even knew the right number to ring! Plus I didn't know either! Maybe we need a block booking system?
I've not come across any Wolf Kahn DVDs - do you know whether he's making any?
Katherine, When we were at the Museum. in Brattleboro, they had two videos running and I vaguely recall that they were for sale in their gift shop. Otherwise I don't know if there are any others. I'll check on amazon.com.
I have the videos link saved some where in my over-stuffed bookmarks file. I will try to find it.
I am happy as a clam that I did a sketch on paper that is "like" WK's style with scribbles. I will post it soon.
Maybe the master was "projecting" his workshop vibes across the country? Anyway, it's a first for me!
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