Randall Williams is a favorite with the Sunland-Tujunga Art association because he makes learning to draw a lot of fun. As the featured artist at their “First Thursday Night Demonstration” in February, his task was to show a mixed group of members and guests how to capture the human figure using pencils and charcoal.
But attendees got more than a free art demonstration. Williams is “Mr. Entertainment” himself, and along with teaching drawing techniques, he amused us with stories about growing up in rural Jacksonville (Illinois, not Mississippi), a confession of how he got through elementary school using art, and his secrets for becoming (if not rich, then at least marginally) famous.
Unique for this demonstration was his use of a live model, the young and pretty Joanna Burke, who willingly and quite casually exchanged her winter-warm sweater and jeans for lacy black undies and thigh-high stockings.
Williams introduced the lovely Joanna and explained how he first met her. He’d been sketching late one summer evening at his Burbank studio a couple years ago, with the doors wide open, when Joanna, who had just come from an acting audition, walked in to admire his art.
“I turned around and…WOW! Here was this beautiful Vampire, with the whole “Goth” thing going! I couldn’t wait to ask her if she’d model for me.”
Since then she has posed for many of Williams’ acrylic paintings and in several of his classes. “It’s a good
way to support myself as I work on my acting career,” she says. Joanna also teaches Ballet part time. Her slim, lithe body is a testimony to that.
For the demonstration, Williams set up a large sheet of poster board on an easel with his box of pencils and charcoal on a small table. Next he posed Joanna on the stage (lying on her side, facing away from us), and positioned a photo light on her at an angle that highlighted the smooth curves of her back. Then he picked up his pencil, grinned at his audience, and began sketching.
As the image slowly emerged on his paper, Williams talked about art and technique, joked about his life and career, displayed various drawings from his own sketchbook as examples, and told funny-sweet stories about some of the kids he’s taught.
Several people at the meeting brought sketchbooks and pencils, but it was hard not to be caught up in the artist’s stories and antics. Some in the audience simply took notes.
Williams teaches art classes to kids in the LAUSD and to seniors through a program at Lockheed. He’s an accomplished muralist and portrait artist and does photo restoration and artistic framing.
He also creates extraordinary sidewalk chalk drawings. At the 2009 Pasadena Sidewalk Chalk Festival, he was photographed by National Geographic as he worked. His layout will be shown by them sometime in June. Check out his website at: www.randallwilliamsart.com
The S-T Art Association provides FREE art demonstrations monthly on the first Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Sunland Park Senior Center located at 8640 Fenwick St. in Sunland.
These are followed by a 5-hour workshop the next Saturday, at 10:00 am at the Tujunga Library, located at 7771 Foothill Blvd (between Apperson and Mt. Gleason).
The workshops cost $45 for members, $55 for guests. For more information call Nancy Bearce at (818) 359-7489 or Dorothy Shepherd at (818) 353-0129.
