For those looking to make the most of your creative talent during the lockdown, Rise Art is hosting a series of live drawing classes – all online and all completely free.
One particularly popular course is life drawing with London-based artist Richard Storey, whose interest lies in capturing motion. Storey’s primary subject is nudes, and in his classes participants are introduced to drawing the human body. They are limited to an audience of fifty and take place on Tuesdays at 7pm. If you’re worried you’ll be the only beginner, rest assured it’s appropriate for anyone, for first timers and experienced life drawing experts.
The lessons are two-hours long and a different model is used each week. Participants are encouraged to work with any materials they have at home, and are able to message in the chat function on Zoom if any questions arise throughout. At the end of the class, work can be submitted into an online folder, which Storey will critique via video.
Another of their courses is stay home and draw together: a fun art drawing workshop for kids of all ages. In this active 40-minute session, participants discover the visual language of drawing. The course takes place on Thursdays at 4pm, and is designed for kids of all ages.
The goal isn’t commercial, but simply to bring a welcome respite for everyone socially distancing themselves, and to encourage creativity.
Rise Art, an online platform that connects professional artists directly to new and existing art collectors, believes art has the power to heal, increase well-being and reduce anxiety: “Researchers liken creating art with exercise for the brain, and studies consistently show that creating art helps individuals cope with stressful and difficult situations,” says a member of Rise Art’s team.
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The growing number of participants in Rise Art’s drawing classes demonstrates the positive effects of art, no doubt enhanced by the fact that the company’s goal isn’t commercial: classes are free. They have been created “simply to bring a welcome respite for everyone socially distancing themselves, and to encourage creativity. No skill level required to join.”
For those of you not convinced you have the ability to partake in an art class, Rise Art has hundreds of incredible artworks available for purchase, and rent, too. The walls of your home don’t have to be lined with your own creations. Why not support artists and be inspired by someone else’s creativity? With painting, prints, photography, drawing, sculpture, and at virtually all price points, there’s no reason everyone can’t benefit from the power of art.
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When asked how they have been affected by the current circumstances surrounding coronavirus, Rise Art responded: “Like every business, Rise Art has had to quickly shift around how we work and the channels we use to interact with our artists and collectors. And it’s not smooth sailing. Sales volume has dipped, and I think rightfully so. For the first couple of weeks, people were more concerned about making sure their pantry was full and kids were being looked after. But being online, our business has less to do than most. Most of our sales take place with collectors around the world…”
“What is important in the short term for us is to support our community the best way we can. Artists are hurting, which is why this April we waived 100% of our revenues on sales for a period of 5 days, to put more money in artists pockets.”
