CLASS TESTIMONIALS
The many sides to James Picard, the man, are almost as diverse as the incredible range of mediums in which Picard, the artist, works. He paints prolifically with passion and expertise developed over decades of dedication to his art. He is a master in a vast range of subjects and styles: portraiture, still life, high action, landscapes, abstract, modern, murals; he is equally brilliant whether he is creating a total abstract or a landscape in the style of the old masters. James Picard, the artist, is well known in international art circles. James Picard, the teacher, is known and admired for his work with children in Harlem and Vancouver hospitals, with seniors and with students ranging from beginners to professionals – bringing a vast knowledge and experience as varied as the number of tones one needs to create a painting. After taking a variety of classes with James over the past six years, I find his voice is always in my head while I am working at art. Kind of like your mother’s voice. “Get your darks in..…..Keep your eye moving…..Start simple then add the details…..Composition…..Structure…..Proportion…..Light Sources.” Heraing him talk to other students in classes, you realize how quick his eye is at problem solving. He is creative, constructive, passionate, patient, gentle, and positive in helping students, off all ages at every level of ability, to create their own art styles – learning from the master. I realize what a find and a gift James Picard is to Vancouver, and I am grateful and cherish every moment in his classes. I have been an art student my whole life, have had many teachers, but now I have found the best. Lucky me! Richelle Grist
What to say about James…hmmmm. I have taken many workshops with James, from painting to drawing as well as his intensive Art boot camp. What keeps me coming back is his brilliance not only as an artist but also as a teacher. I started taking classes with not much more than a interest in learning to draw and got so much more. I now have tools and techniques that I will utilize for the rest of my life. I made a wonderful friend and met interesting people. The warm friendly atmosphere is very conducive to learning and his passion for art is contagious. A word of warning: He can be a little nutty. Karen Bedard
James is following his true passion in life. This shows in his art and in his teaching. He has not only a passion for creating but, lucky for us all, a passion for teaching. He has a deep understanding of art, art history, technical knowledge, and interest in and knowledge of biographies of great artists through history. This and so much more informs and enriches his teaching. James knows 10x more about art than anyone I have ever met, but he shares his knowledge completely at whatever level his student is and with kindness and genuine interest in helping the student reach his/her goals in that medium. He is able to connect with students at every level of their development as artists. On top of all that, he is genuinely passionate about what he is doing. The strong energy with which he teaches and creates is completely infectious. You will leave class with some knowledge of how to improve your skills and with renewed energy for your art. I count myself extraordinarily lucky to have the opportunity to study with James. Having studied with James for a year and a half, I am so excited to
see what is around the next corner, and the next. There is so much to
learn and James has the knowledge and the ability to share it in a way
that retains my individuality as an artist yet will develop my Andrea Taylor
Yesterday's class was beyond fabulous. The superb teaching, the attention, expertise, encouragement you give to each of us; your beautiful energy which suffuses the room; your paintings everywhere which are sheer delight;
the hilarity at certain times; the talent! My God! No wonder we adore
being there. Joane McNicoll
As a novice artist, I have appreciated James’ encouragement. He is approachable and creates a comfortable studio atmosphere. It has been an honour to work with a Master artist and be privy to his instruction. My confidence has grown, my drawing and painting continue to progress, and I am always energized after one of his classes. I might even be ready for Art Boot Camp! Testimonial of Tracy Anne, artist in training
Hi, I am Stephen Cowell; I am please to say a few words about James Picard as an art teacher. James is a very accomplished artist, sculpturing, and painting and drawing, in ‘the full range’ of styles and periods of art. He freely shares what he knows with those who want to learn from him. I feel privileged to have James teaching me and helping me to pursue my passion for painting. The classes I like the most are the open studio painting classes, where the students set up a piece of work they are working on or starting and James, our instructor circulates to give advice, solve problems, to show a particular technique, or to discuss how some great artist approached a particular issue. These daylong sessions are high energy. The students, ten is the maximum; learn from each other or from hearing James instructions. These open studio sessions bring people from every level: absolute new comers who want to learn to draw or paint for their own reasons, often stress: to accomplished trained artists who are looking for some expert instruction. These open studio classes are often the place to apply and try out what I have learned from the more structured classes. The more structured drawing, still life, life drawing and painting classes, provide masses of information, some applied during the class, some to be applied from notes and handouts on some later work at home, or in the open studio classes. I have been under the tutelage of James Picard for two years, starting when I attended a class to encourage my daughter to pursue her artistic gift. I had no idea I would achieve anything, in fact I regarded the prospect of attending classes with humour, thinking that I might draw stick people or similar: I hadn’t done anything in painting or drawing since high school. Within a few months, I hung my first painting on my living room wall. Within a year, I had my main floor walls littered with paintings. Now, I have people wanting my work. I feel that I have achieved a lot, thanks to James, and attending his workshops twice per month, on average. And the classes are a lot of fun.
My special thanks to James for inspiring me to continue to grow as an artist. He has given me guidance to help me see and paint what I see. His supportive manner has inspired me to strive for greatness. I am forever grateful. Ellensue Gross
I started taking classes with James in November 2006, and have found him to be the best art teacher I've ever had. He finds out what interests you, what you want to learn how to do, and gets you practicing in the first class. While he does cover theory, his teaching style is more about doing, and discovering, with his expert guidance, your own way of "seeing" and figuring out what makes a painting work. I've created paintings in James' classes that I never thought I was capable of, and know that my skills as an artist have improved tremendously since I've started working with him. His support, playfulness and sense of humor have made the occasional frustrations I've experienced while learning that much more enjoyable. James himself is an incredibly talented artist, and his joy in creating art of all kinds is truly inspirational. I'm so grateful that I discovered him as a teacher and mentor, and look forward to always being able to take classes with him! Anna Temple Jane Eaton |
