Compose+Yourself is for you if you:
create
crave answers
enjoy learning
are new to the studio nest
are just beginning to spread your artistic wings
have been flying around the studio for a while
love to make stuff
aspire to make better stuff
want to feel more sure about what you’re doing
need to know how to make your art wrongs right
long to feel more confident
wished you’d gone to art school
feel a need for some basic art education
seek clear direction
enjoy the structure and freedom an online class provides
What is Compose+Yourself?
Compose+Yourself is a new approach to the art & study of artistic composition. It starts with the idea that to arrive at good composition, you have to put yourself in the picture first. (Not literally, of course.!) Throughout the course, the concepts, framework, and tools of composition will be taught with a focus on how you see the world. The emphasis will be on putting your vision, your feelings, your thoughts, and your message into your work.
You must first compose yourself. Tools and techniques are secondary. The whole point of studying composition is to know the rules, the whys, and the reasoning behind it all so that you can use them to help you get your vision and art out of your head and into the world. So how will I help you do that you do that?
I have structured the course with great care and attention to ensure that you really get not only what you are looking for but what you need. My approach in delivering this class falls somewhere between the classroom experience and a valuable handbook. I have been teaching women (and a few men) just like you for over 24 years, both in person and through my ten books and three DVDs. I’m bringing all this experience and more to the table for the Compose+Yourself class.
Compose+Yourself started as a tiny seed of inspiration years ago. I have studied countless resources, interviewed a broad range of artists, and, most of all, fine-tuned my own insights, experience, and knowledge of the art of composition. I know I could spend many, many more months in the gathering phase, but I know better. The pregnancy is over, and it’s time to deliver.
I was just wishing the other day that I could just keep you in my pocket and take you along with me whenever I had an important decision to make about my work! ~ Stephanie Dyer
It is thanks to people like yourself who unselfishly pass on the benefits of your experience to the rest of us who may never do anything fantastic, but have a heck of a lot of fun trying — and how good it is!!!!! I love your book. ~ Lois Wadsworth
Thank you so much for making an art form not appear so scary.
~ Meg Greene
I am still feeling the wonderful aliveness from the class… I learned so much, and I am excited about exploring the new path I found. Thank you for all that you shared with us! ~ Robin Brandes (Robinbrandes.com)
Curriculum
Session 1: What is composition?
Why composition?
What composition does and doesn’t do
Why you need to Compose Yourself
Mindset for success
Materials for the class
Session 2: How to Compose Yourself
Learning how to see
How you see the world
How to see what’s right under your nose
How to put yourself in your work
Session 3: Composition ingredients
Principles of design
Elements of design
Clearing confusion
Tools to tell it how you see (and feel) it
Session 4: Putting the tools to work for you
Session 5: Color
Hue are you?
Session 6: Artist as Magician
Controlling the action
The Golden Mean & Mr. Fibonacci and other scientific explanations
Session 7: Rules are made to be broken
How knowing yourself will help you know what to do
Trust the process, intuition and other wisdom
Session 8: Your best teacher
How to use what you’ve learned
Session 9: Less is more
Constraints = freedom
Session 10: Final project & critique
Guest Experts
Lynne Perrella
Claudine Hellmuth
Carol Marine
Lynne Hoppe
Judy Coates Perez
Julie Fe1-Fan Balzer
Katherine Dunn
Joan Schulze
Pam Garrison
Jane LaFazio
How It Works
The Compose+Yourself course is entirely virtual. All class content resides on a password-protected typepad blog. It is easy to access and navigate so that you can participate from anywhere in the world in a way that works with your busy schedule and at your own pace.
Compose+Yourself includes:
• Ten info-packed lessons
• Clear, concise, well-written and presented instruction
• Videos, audio, images, free downloads, worksheets, assignments and more!
• inspirational art, wisdom teachings, and personal stories from Lesley to support you along the way © Lesley Riley 2024
Still have questions? Email me !
