Frida Inspired
Mixed Media
Celebrate an icon, celebrate your art!
In this workshop, we take inspiration from the life of Frida Kahlo. Using her iconic image I show you my secrets to mixing a beautiful variety of skin tones and drawing a wide mix of faces with varying proportions and placements.
We go in-depth with sketching the turned face, adding colour using three distinctly different supply-oriented techniques! We expand on our own ‘versions’ of the icon to incorporate her life and love of Mexico into collage.
With this incredible woman as inspiration, I have created what I feel is a workshop full of heart and true skill-building lessons.
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Are you fascinated by Frida Kahlo?
Me too!
Why am I obsessed with Frida Kahlo?
She proved to me that you don’t have to fit a box and follow rules made by others. That you are beautiful just the way you are and that your art can be meaningful just the way it is. Maybe what resonates most with me is how she was lead by heart-felt passion coupled with tenacity and perseverance.
Frida continually challenged her self to improve her skills, and balanced that with time to relax, contemplate and laugh with her loved ones. She remained curious and broadened her horizons with travel. She collected objects that fascinated and thoughtfully placed them in her home that became a personal sanctuary surrounded by plants, colour and beloved animals.
Frida Kahlo inspires through her art and her life illustrating that gender, age, nationality and dire personal circumstances can be transcendental elements. I adore her soul!
Lesson 1
Skin Deep
Let’s start with the very thing that holds us together: skin. In this lesson, we will mix lots of different skin tones with watercolour using several methods.
Lesson 2
Little Fridas!
Let’s create lots and lots of small faces! We’ll work with pens, coloured pencils, watercolour, inks, pastels and brush pens!
Lesson 3
Frida Sketchercise
In this lesson, we draw a turned face and then Frida-rize it!
Lesson 4
Worth Repeating
In this lesson, we take our Sketchercise face and add colour in three different ways! Frida believed in repetition in her artwork. Most of her paintings were self portraits and I see a quest for improvement in that repetition and practice.
Lesson 5
Frida Collage-oh!
I want to bring in one of my favourite collage techniques! We’ll work on Frida as well and Frida and Diego, her husband.
Lesson 6
Frida and Diego
I tend to think of Diego Rivera purely as Frida’s husband, but he was a big star of the international art world before he met her.
Lesson 7
Fridamania
Let’s continue on with the fun of collage incorporating the Mayan calendar.
Lesson 8
Feeling a little Gelli
You’ll enjoy this fun lesson using Gelli Plates!
Lesson 9
Viva La Variety
Let’s connect the Blue and Red Frida with some celebratory colour! Ladybug Dotters are the first art supplyI’ve produced myself. You can substitute another supply, but for me, I LOVE lots of dots!
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Who is it for?
While I consider this an advanced level workshop, it is just as suitable for beginners as my loyal Daven peeps (an affection term of respect for people that love doing all my workshops!).
Who is it not suited for?
If you’re just getting started with your art and are struggling with your creative confidence, you may want to start with my mini-workshop Draw Happy as a gentle way back into your art making again.
How the Workshop is Delivered
I have created this class so you can take all the time you need and let the magic happen!
All sessions for the Self-guided study classes are up when you arrive. This means there’s no waiting for projects to be posted and you can take the course at whatever pace works for you.
You can revisit, rewatch, recharge and remind yourself of all the art supplies, all the drawing lessons, all the mixed media inspiration whenever you want.
You need never feel embarrassed about not ‘clicking’ with a new skill straightaway. It’s a terrible feeling when you feel left behind, or that you dont ‘get it’ and everyone else does in a learning situation! But you will NEVER feel that way in my classroom because you can pause and rewind, and ask questions.
Full instructions are on the site if this is your first online class experience. You are in safe hands!
What you Get
The classes are video based and typically between 7 and 20 minutes long each. Intense creative nuggets! I talk you through each of the art supplies, what they do and show you how to use them through a variety of drawing projects and exercises.
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What you’ll need for the workshop
Buy Jane Davenport Watercolor Journal
Buy ‘Matchmaker’ Acrylics
Buy ‘Aquapastels’ watercolor crayons
Buy Velvet Pastels: Monarch, Neon, Queen, Pink Princess
Buy Mermaid Markers: ‘Celestial Sky’
“I’ve enjoyed this workshop very much. I feel I have been able to work through several obstacles along the way and from that I have learned a lot. I feel I’ve gained more confidence both in drawing the turned face and knowing my art supplies better. So thank you Jane for yet another wonderful workshop”
Camilla, Norway
“Yippee first 3 lessons videos done and lots of tiny face shapes just waiting to become little Frida’s tomorrow. Jane your lessons are wonderful and I am loving reading and seeing all the Frida info. The more I understand her struggles and successes I like her even more. She died in the same year I was born..”
Debby, Canada
“Frida – Larger Than Life – used so many JD art supplies in this one and so enjoyed it. Learned so much in this workshop – highly recommend. Thank you Jane (and Frida) for your inspiration.”
Maryanne, USA
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Viva La Vida