Madison Reporter

A group of art-loving community members participated in a “Drawing in the Galleries” class led by artist Philip Salamone at the Chazen Museum of Art on June 20. The participants, encompassing various ages and skill levels, engaged in figure drawing with a live model. Salamone provided guidance, advising attendees to focus on the subject 90% of the time and their paper 10% of the time, and to use a mirror for an alternative perspective. The event is partially funded by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board.

Luciana Borbley and Dianne Vollrath, friends who are part of a group that meets twice weekly to practice art, closely observed model Marcus Nickel. In the background were notable artworks including Edward Reginald Frampton’s ‘The Voyage of St. Brandan’ and Truman Lowe’s ‘Feather Tree.’

Linda Endlich participated in a 20-minute figure study session. Endlich, who retired after 36 years in UW's art department focusing on graphic design, has since returned to watercolor painting and drawing.

Undergraduate student Ten Juza received advice from Salamone on figure proportions and alignment. Juza commented, “I'm more used to ceramics, and I'm getting back into two-dimensional art like painting and drawing. I saw the Chazen offered this free class, and I was like, ‘Okay, gotta take advantage!’”

Salamone explained contrapposto positioning using Nickel as an example. He demonstrated techniques such as viewing a subject through a mirror to identify errors in sketches.

Participants including Dianne Vollrath, Luciana Borbely, and Ali Beyer sketched model Marcus Nickel against the backdrop of El Anatsui’s ‘Danu’ and Xu Bing’s ‘Ten Thousand Trees.’ Salamone also advised Vollrath on her sketch regarding elements like shape, placement, and size.

The photo gallery captures moments from this artistic gathering at the Chazen Museum of Art.