Basic Drawing Technique: Brush & Ink September 11, 2010

Central Arizona College’s Maricopa Center will offer four community education drawing classes this summer and into the fall thanks to local artist Megan Abdallah.

Abdallah will instruct two separate basic drawing technique courses, one using a brush and ink and the other using watercolors, starting in June.

A native of Texas, Abdallah received her first formal training from Master Carver Jon Russ in Arkansas where she was awarded a state arts grant. During her time in Arkansas, Abdallah continued her studies by creating a series of carved and painted replicas of North American birds.

She completed her undergraduate degree at Henderson State (Ark.) University, receiving a bachelor’s of fine arts in studio art with an emphasis in painting and art history. She then traveled throughout the United States creating murals and commissioned pieces that have been included in private collections and permanent displays in Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Wisconsin, Washington and Barcelona, Spain.

Abdallah is currently focused on creating abstracts and distorted realism with mixed mediums and oil painting. Her first comprehensive collection of paintings, the Symbol Series, is a mixed media of sand, oil, wood burning and gold leaf.

In this series she creates meditative Hindu Mandalas by inscribing Sanskrit text and Hindu prayers in sand and/or wood with gold leaf, paint, and/or wood burning. The process is meditative for her and, in turn, becomes meditative Mandalas for others to use.

Her second series that she still is actively pursuing is entitled Cellular. The series is a powerful use of complementary colors layered with sand creating a primal energy of organic formation.

Abdallah’s third series, Partum, is a collection of soulful figures representing the inner self, impregnated with the symbolic creation, nurturing, and sacrifice of art. Samples of her artwork can be found on www.abdallahart.com.

Anyone interested in registering for these community education courses may contact the Maricopa Center at 520-494-6400. Each class will be taught on Saturday from 9 a.m.-Noon. The following courses will be taught starting in June:

Basic Drawing Technique: Brush & Ink (June 19)
Basic Drawing Technique: Using Watercolors (July 10 & 17)
Basic Drawing Technique: Brush & Ink (Sept. 11)
Basic Drawing Technique: Using Watercolors (Oct. 16 & 23)