Traillworks to host fundamentals of figure drawing workshop

NEWTON — On Sunday, September 25, TraillWorks will host "Fundamentals of Figure Drawing" with artist Valerie Williamson Lalor, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with a half hour lunch break, lunch included. This workshop is for beginner to advanced students, appropriate for both teens to adults, and is a great chance to work on a developing art portfolio. Space is limited to ten students and the deadline to enroll is September 21. Figure drawing is a timeless and fundamental method that builds perceptual skills and gains knowledge on the elements of art: line, value, shape/volume, texture, and color, leading to the deliberate manipulation of an image for spatial illusion, composition and expressive meaning. This workshop will provide beginners an introduction to figurative drawing, and intermediate and advance students an opportunity to hone their skills and gain feedback. Lalor will focus on guiding students to understand the proportions of the human body, the basics of anatomy and movement, and how to begin to capture the form on the page. This is by no means a comprehensive course on figurative work, however, the students will leave having experienced drawing the figure, learned basic drawing concepts, and with exercises they can perform on their own. Valerie (Val) Williamson Lalor was born in New York and grew up watching her father, Al Williamson, draw and ink comic books. She spent her time drawing alongside him and assisted in some projects as her talents matured. Her father often shared his studio with young budding artists so Val spent her childhood immersed in artwork of all kinds. Val was accepted to certificate programs like the Keystone Junior College Art Program and the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts while in High School. She received her BA in Visual Arts from the University of Pittsburgh in 1992 and began pursuing a career in graphic design. Not one to sit still, Val began learning other aspects of business and soon found herself professionally far away from the art world as a project manager and team leader. She received her MBA from Centenary College in New Jersey in 2004 and is an active instructor as an NRA Basic Pistol instructor since 2009. Recently Val decided to return to her artistic roots as both a student and instructor. TraillWorks Studio, Gallery, and Lesson space is located at 214 Spring Street, 1st Floor, in Newton. For additional information and to register call 973-383-1307 or visit www.TraillWorks.com.