Drawing, Painting, & Life-long Learning
By Allen Kriegshauser
I was raised to be a competitive person. However, it was clear from an early age that neither a career in sports or music were serious considerations. So, I found solace and recognition in drawing. I have always been drawn to the visual arts. At age 13 I started painting landscapes using oils, and it stuck.
I attended the University of Missouri and started taking art classes. This is where I met my mentor, who taught me to appreciate and execute composition. He also advised that if I wanted to advance my learning, I needed to enroll at Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI), where he attended. After completing my academic career at the University of Missouri, Columbia I headed to the KCAI to refine my drawing and painting skills. My first love is drawing, because it taught me to create structure—not just to work around the edges but providing me the ability to see and construct visual bones with the use of line, volume, value, and texture. At KCAI, I drew primarily from live models on average 12-16 hours every week. I have continued to learn to paint for approaching 60 years, now and always experimenting with new techniques, tools, and subjects.
I am figurative oil painter, who is not driven by a particular subject or object. My interest is in the process with the final image evolving from that process. When selecting a subject, I look for the overall visual stimulation to provide me with the vehicle for a new and interesting creative experience. I view the entire painting process as abstract, leaving the subject to take a back seat to the process.
Outside of art I am an avid gardener. My father was an architect who taught me to appreciate architecture. I also have enjoyed designing and rehabbing multiple residential spaces, including my own. In addition, I enjoy the challenge of solving structural construction challenges required to improve site lines and functional flow of spaces in order to create comfortable environments.
My upcoming workshop, “Creating a Structurally Solid and Expressive Painting” is designed to give you tools to achieve and express your individual vision.
The workshop will address:
Choosing what to paint and why
How to effectively compose
Creating visual perspective
Stretching your range of values using colors
Adding visual textures and patterns that add depth
Creating visual interest with flowing contours
Painting water that you want to dive into
Pairing colors and values for greater affect
Mixing your darkest of darks and lightest values and still have color
Mixing mid-tones for a complete tapestry of color & and values
This is an intensive workshop targeted at improving your overall skills as a painter. The workshop will be a series of 3 structured sessions. Each session will start with a demo by the instructor in which the critical thinking supporting the action will be articulated. This will be followed by a targeted in-session assignment to be completed by the participants.
The workshop will provide continuing instruction. After the workshop participants are encouraged to forward images of their work for additional advice for a period of 90 days after the workshop at no additional cost.
More About Allen Kriegshauser: Allen is a nationally known painter particularly for his expressive use of color and appealing compositions. He has been a featured artist in “Plein Air Magazine”, “Arts in America”, on PBS, radio interviews and numerous other publications. Besides teaching drawing and painting, he actively competes in 6-9 Plein Air Events around the country each year for the past 20+ years.
Allen Kriegshauser will be teaching a painting workshop this October hosted by Heartland Art Club in Kirkwood, MO titled: “Creating a Structurally Solid and Expressive Painting”.
