How to Develop Creative Identity with Greg Mason & Sylvia Reitzema
Posted by Cass Art Staff on 30th Aug 2021
To celebrate our Student Day reboot this year our Cass Art Professional Ambassador Greg Mason met Sylvia Reitzema to speak to her about her experience of working with students as Senior Lecturer at Kingston College of Art and Design. They discussed a number of key issues that are essential for consideration during a student tenure.
HOW TO DEVELOP CREATIVE IDENTITY
A lot of art students worry about developing their own creative identity and Syliva talks us through some keys points such as experimenting in with medium, sketchbooks, inundate yourself with your work to see where you are with your project. Go in with the correct mind-set to embrace your creative juices to discover that creative identity.
TOP TIPS FOR ART STUDENTS
It seems obvious but come to class prepared. Sylvia and Greg share some key points on why the art materials you choose have to be the right choices to give you the confidence to produce the best work. Some of their recommended products to get your creative juices flowing are Cass Art Watercolour Set of 12 as it has a broad palette of colours to get you started with watercolour. Cass Art Sable Brush Set of 5, You’ll find that these are perfect for watercolours as their soft natural bristles can carry large amounts of water for long, consistent strokes of colour. In terms fo drawing Molotow Blackliner Set of 11, Derwent Graphic Pencil Set of 12, are ideal - both with a broad range of options from nib sizes to pencil grades. In terms of surfaces our Cass Art Heayweight Cartridge Pads are ideal due to their versatility - With 200gsm, watercolour and even acrylic washes can be used as well as pencil, charcoal and marker pens. The Artbin Essential Tray box is perfect for keeping all your materials in one place too.
HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL
Syliva discusses the key characteristics some of the students who really made a successful time in college posses and to move onto the next level. Listen carefully!
GREG MASON
SKY Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2018 finalist Greg Mason is an Honours Graduate of St Martin’s, London and South West Academician. Greg lives and paints in Devon - his practice resonates with classic traditions of figurative art - focussing on portraiture, the nude and landscape - whilst retaining a modern approach that is both authentic to the subject matter and grounded in contemporary mark-making.
Greg works in oil on linen, constructing and deconstructing work in order to find the moment that captures the energy and emotion of a place or person. Inspired by artists such as Gwen John, Whistler, Lucian Freud and more recently modern figurative artists such as Alex Kanevsky and Nicolas Uribe, Greg looks for authenticity in the encounter with his subject and happily takes commissions for both landscapes and portraits.
You can follow Greg Mason on his Instagram channel here.
SYLVIA REITZEMA
Sylvia Reitzema is a contemporary artist born in London, who currently lives and works between Mallorca, Spain and England. She produces drawings and paintings using mixed media, oil paints and inks, often experimenting with different media and techniques. Sylvia studied the MA in Drawing as Process at Kingston University, 2001-2002 and a BA Hons in Fine Art at Academy Minerva, Holland, 1995-1997. She has over 20 years experience of being an Art & Design Lecturer having working mainly at Kingston University and Kingston College.
You can also find Sylvia's Instagram here.
