Laraine Armenti

student of painting

Teacher Student

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It can be a mark of pride in art to be self-taught, to be an Autodidact, Visionary, or Outsider artist. To a degree all artists can claim the title of being self-taught, despite Abe Lincoln's warning that, “He who represents himself has a fool for a client.” Hours lead to years of blind groping for uncertain results that truly place one face to face with oneself. There are also those who believe … [Read more...]

Summer Drawings

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Drawing means different things to different people. As a practitioner I want to make the approximate specific and say more with less. The most important thing is to draw often, in whatever way possible, to realize its potential. I went to ten extraordinary museums on art trips in New England this summer. Museums usually forbid the use of ink when drawing in sketchbooks from their art in … [Read more...]

Spring Teaching 2018

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Registration is now open for my spring teaching schedule beginning April 2 at ccae.org and April 10 at www.danforth.org. This post contains examples of student art from three classes I teach in painting and drawing. Below are descriptions of each class and the schools where the classes are offered. From Copies to Life at the Cambridge Center Studio School. This class alternates between copying … [Read more...]

Tempus Fugit

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This month marks ten years since I stopped working as a graphic designer for international meetings to devote more time to painting. My hectic pace of life, of client deadlines and to-do lists, kept interrupting painting. The change led to forks in myriad unmarked roads. I had wanted to discover what might be possible, to cultivate my potential, and I was motivated to make the change by nearing … [Read more...]

Masterpiece Copies

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"Paris offers... the museums in which you can study the old masters;... from 12 to 4 you copy, in the Louvre or the Luxembourg, whatever masterpiece you like." — Zola’s letter to Cezanne, 1858 ~~ Art made in eras that are historically and culturally different from our own provides a limitless source of instruction and inspiration. For the artist, the process of copying masterpieces internalizes … [Read more...]

2016 Review

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I was concerned when assembling this review that I might confuse my readers with disparate series of works from this year. To be a generalist also conflicts with good advice. Mark Twain observed, "Astonishing things can be done with the human memory if you will devote it faithfully to one particular line of business." My amateur values — instincts, sensibilities, proclivities, predisposition, or … [Read more...]