Drawing Degas

Here is the trailer for my video featuring a large scale easel drawing. That longer video is available to my Patreon subscribers. It is a full start-to-finish of a 3 foot by 2 foot vine charcoal drawing where I respond to one of Degas' bather figurines.

As a result of seeing the Edgar Degas, A Passion for Perfection exhibit in Denver, I am on fire to adopt some of his techniques and moves. One thing I took away from his pastels was that I have been working too hard! What I mean is his shorthand for skin tones with pastels was earthshaking for me. 

Details of Edgar Degas pastels showing technique.

Your hand knows how to draw. Get out of the way and watch the magic.

On Color! Resolutions at The MADDEN

Artists Ken Elliott and Casey Klahn taught On Color! Color Breakthrough at the Denver MADDEN Museum of Art July 20 & 21st. 25 artists participated. 

Memorial Day

It was a tremendous honor to participate in creating this memorial at Ft Logan Cemetery, Denver. This is dedicated to the men of the Tenth Mountain Division (including my dad) who fought in WW II. I was privileged to render the climber and the mountains seen in the granite and the marble faces of the stone. Presented in 2009, it is a place to honor our fathers who had the task of seizing one island in the Aleutian chain, and countless mountain redoubts in north Italy. My dad remembered that the German bunkers were also cast into granite mountains; the major ones had walls 200 feet thick!


Photo: Ken Elliott.

When Bloggers Meet - Cynthia Haase

Cindy Haase & I meet at the Denver Workshop

This edition of When Bloggers Meet is brought to you by the talented artist Cynthia Haase & myself.  There were four of us blog-heads there, and we caused much of the trouble that occurred.  

Cynthia Haase Fine Art

What Are You Really Selling?

Cynthia's Blog

Editor's note:  In spite of the presence of three Starbucks cups in this photo, DO NOT go to Denver looking for Starbucks.  They are few and far between.  Sorry to be so brutal, Denver, but...

Author's note: There is no editor.

Demo in Denver

I Demo in Denver

At the last minute while packing for the trip to Denver, my new grays arrived on the doorstep: Thunderstorm grays and a set of gray Diane Townsend Terrages!  I didn't really need them, but I opened up my luggage and crammed them in - I wanted the "jazz" that comes with getting really yummitudinous sticks.  I felt that energy going into my demos, and really had fun making three pictures for the class.  This big violet one sold, but I was the most jazzed by another one that depicted the urban energy of Denver metro.

Denver Metro on the easel

@ 7" x 9"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

Denver Workshop Report

Take the oath to paint your best

My student artists had a great time at the Denver workshop this weekend learning about painting and having fidelity to their own ideas.  I enjoyed seeing them creating pastels and paintings that were new and fresh.

In Denver, With a Trivia Question

Me posing in front of a Robert Motherwell.  He & I share one thing that few people know about.  Can you guess what that is?

The Denver workshop, See Differently-Authenticity & Your Art, is all set to go this weekend, and I am enjoying a visit with my host, Ken Elliott.

I will report back here, soon.

Take It Out Back

Behind The Garage

9.5" x 13"

Charcoal, Graphite, Chalk, Pastel

Casey Klahn

This garage drawing will be a book cover in the not-too-distant future.  


Oh Canada!  Come June 2nd and 3rd, I will be bringing my workshop to Cambridge, Ontario at the Pastel Studio store.  The Pastel Studio of Canada is a tremendous place to resource everything from Roche and Diane Townsend pastels to Wallis and Colourfix surfaces.  Contact or phone here.  Two days, $250 Canadian.


Ken Elliot is teaching a one day workshop in Parker, CO.  Painting strategies, and succeeding as an artist.  This will be a rewarding Denver area workshop from a colorist artist!


My Denver Area Workshop:  One more space!


Studio.  Do you use a projector in your studio?  I have had these old school opaque, and reflecting projectors in the past.  This year, I have stepped up to a digital LED projector, and also an LED flat light pad.  The high tech. light pad was a help for me in transferring the garage image from its original, plein air drawing to what would be a finished mixed media piece.

Denver in May!

Denver Workshop Details:

See Differently. Authenticity & Your Art,

by Casey Klahn.

Location: Studio of Joan Fullerton, 4976 Carefree Trail, Parker, CO 80134

Date: May 19^th & 20^th  

Cost: $240

Class Size: 12

Contact me by e-mail


This workshop has generated much interest.  There are spaces available, but they will fill up soon.