Kline Academy of Fine Art
Website: http://www.klineacademy.com
Email: klineacademy@att.net
3264 Motor Ave, Los Angeles, United States
- Details
- Faculty
- Instructor Works
- Student Works
- Other Images
- Event Listing
Kline Academy of Fine Art is an atelier experience… when you walk through our doors you will see easels spattered in colorful bits of paint, works of art from classical master copies, fine French Academy style drawings to contemporary "alla prima" urban landscapes and portraits. Large plaster casts of Roman busts for drawing fill the back studio, sky lights stream light down on a model stand draped in colorful fabric and the sweet smell of oil paint is in the air.
I started Kline Academy in 2007 to give anyone who seeks a better art education an opportunity to learn these historic painting techniques brush stroke by brush stroke, the way I learned to paint from the master artists I was fortunate to study under. I understand an artist's frustration at having a great idea but not being able to execute it with polish and panache. My motto is that "your frustration ends at our front door." Our students come from a diverse background of careers, all ages and all skill levels from absolute beginner to master artists. The only requirement we have is the desire and the passion to make art that is highly crafted. And I ensure that all will learn and grow because the instructors on our staff are people who I myself would want to study with, exceptional and professional working artists who are skilled at teaching and nurturing their students growth.
It is because of my vision to create a respectable art academy that is founded on classical foundations in art, a linage that has been passed down from master to student since the renaissance, that we have thrived. We are a place where people of any age and background can learn fundamentals of art making from classical realism to contemporary scenes of this century.
Ironically our building is the same building where I studied under Master Artist Jan Saether from Norway. The school was called Bruchion School of Realist Art and operated from 1980's through the early 1990's. Some of the foundation exercises we use in our classical painting course are the same ones mandatory at Bruchion. My studies continued at Florence Academy of Art where I was introduced to the Zorn Palette, Bargue Drawings and Cast Head drawings. Those exercises are also a big part of our program at Kline Academy.
We start our beginning students off with drawing classes; Saturday Morning is a Foundation still-life drawing where students learn to use their materials and begin to model form. The exercises become more challenging as their skills improve. Saturday Morning in our Figure studio teaches proportions with a live model with a long pose which lasts for 4 weeks. This is important so students have plenty of time to perfect their drawing or for the more advanced students their painting. In which case they are working on skin tones and paint application using a limited palette. Saturday Afternoon the same model poses for our 4 week portrait drawing and painting class. Emphasis is always on accuracy, proportions, shadow patterns etc. The painters focus on likness and color mixing and paint application. In our front studio also on Saturday afternoon is our Beginning Classical Painting course. In this class student's first project is our Compass Rose design. This exercise is great for beginners, it teaches them a renaissance rub-out method, then they continue the next week with monochromatic to learn values, paint handling, brushes, medium, edges so many lessons are packed in this one exercise. After this dries it is painted over using Zorn palette colors and the final step is learning to glaze with more modern transparent colors. The second project is a monochromatic still life to understand 3D form, after they get to pick the image for their old master copy. They may end up doing 2 or 3 copies until they are ready to advance to their own still life setups or the live model or their own projects.
Mondays we have a teen drawing program where we introduce them to Bargue drawings, cast heads and help them with their portfolio requirements, Monday eve we have a new class Drawing with color which teaches a layered method using dry media. The rear studio has a contemporary painting class where we teach a quicker alla prima style of painting. This is the only class where we allow acrylic painters.
Tuesday morning we repeat the same contemporary painting class and Tuesday eve we have our Classical Drawing Atelier. We use Bargue drawings, cast heads and still life set ups and introduce students to sight-sizing.
Wednesday morning is our in-studio landscape class. Many of these students are plein air painters and want to turn their studies in larger paintings. They also get a crash course in how to block in and eliminate distraction in an image so when they go back outside to paint, they have more skills and tools to capture their first impression of the landscape. Wednesday eve we continue with the same Classical Foundation Class as described in Sat. class. The front studio has an ongoing un-instructed live model long pose.
Thursday morning is an advance Classical painting workshop (some beginners) most of the people are either doing more advanced master copies or their own projects. Thursday eve is another painting workshop and a place to experiment with materials and different techniues for instance incorporating palette knife into their work, how to use chalk to thicken their paint, stand oil etc and also working on optional surfaces or using foils - icons.
Friday - is a quarterly workshop on either Venetian Figure Painting or Renaissance Style Figure painting and drawing. We use a live model for the full 8 weeks and also emphasize draperary as well as how to improve their drawing and painting skills.
Sunday is reserved for our workshops with Shaun Berke who teached a Nerdrum style narrative portrait course and Natalia Fabia who teaches a contemporary figure alla prima style painting workshop. On other Sundays we reserve for our visiting artists who typically conduct 3 day weekend workshops. Steven Assael comes on a regular basis, Pam Hawkes comes onece a year from the UK, Juliette Aristides and Rob Liberace have come several times, Max Ginsberg, Steve Huston, Graydon Parrish, David Leffel have conducted workshops for us. This year Steven Assael was here in January, in March we are hosting Stephen Bahman and Corneila Hearns from Florence Academy, in April we will host Pam Hawkes from the UK and either September or December we will host Michael John Angel from Angel Academy.
Every year we grow and improve. Our yearly Open Houses are epic! Both studios are transformed into galleries, Saturday evening is the grand opening with live music and fully catered - Sunday we continue to celebrate the great work the students and faculty have created with live demos. Each year, before anyone comes through, I personally do a final walk through to make sure all is hung nicely and that every detail is right. I am so proud of the work, every year ...I cry.
| Website | http://www.klineacademy.com |
| klineacademy@att.net | |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Course languages (Check multiple if applicable) | English |
| Part-Time Instructors | 13 |
| Full-Time Instructors | 2 |
| Students | 125 |
| Accommodation | No |
| costs |
Part time: USD 280 / month Full time: USD 1500 / semester |
