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Student
Profile
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John
Viljoen: Saying Something New
With an Old Language |
Scalpel, Sutures, Songbook: Dr. Joe Starr, the Singing Surgeon |
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John began drawing at a very young age and completed his first oil paintings in high school at Upper Canada College. While working on his B.F.A. in fine arts and his national teaching certification in art education at the Parsons School of Design, John started to study privately with the head of the New York Academy of Art. Encouraged by this mentor, John traveled to the Loire Valley in France to further his private studies. It is through these experiences that John has become an artist who combines "traditional techniques with a contemporary sensibility." Working with oil and only from life, never photographs, John's work consists mostly of portraits, figures, landscapes, and some still life. John is represented by the Odon Wagner Gallery in Toronto and works mostly on commissioned work held in both public and private collections. His work hangs in the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society in New York City, in the Toronto Western Hospital and in Upper Canada College. His biggest challenge as an artist is to "find new ways of improving." John believes that the artistic process is a fluid one that must involve being auto-critical. This sense of "identifying what's going right and why and what's going wrong and why" is what John hopes to help develop in his students. Through his step by step, logical approach to art making, John wants his students to realize their full capabilities. As the Chairman of Fine Arts at Royal St. George's College, John truly believes that "learning, doing and teaching are intrinsically connected." While teaching something new using an old language, John believes that "every person's life can be enriched by learning to perceive more deeply, think more clearly, and create more skillfully with their own hands."
Introduction
to Portraiture Master
Class in Figure Drawing Master
Class in Portraiture To
register or to receive more information
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Monday is Dr. Joseph Starr's most pressured day. From early morning until six at night, he consults with patients in his plastic surgery practice. And yet Monday is also the day he looks forward to because he knows that shortly after leaving his office he'll be belting out the showtunes he has known and loved for many years. Joe was recruited into the Broadway Showtunes class by his old friend Patti Goodman who has attended the class regularly since 1993. While he was recuperating from surgery, Patti thought the class would be therapeutic for him. She described it as a 'three day weekend' - a wonderful way to relieve stress, to enjoy the camaraderie of people from all walks of life, and to sing the old familiar songs. The class is led by singer/actor Patrick Rose and composer/pianist David Warrack.
Joe sums it up best: "The class is especially good for people with stressful jobs - it's a tremendous release. It doesn't matter how we sing - there's no pressure. We're just a bunch of very happy amateurs." This fall, 35 students packed into the school's music room to join Joe in raising the roof singing songs from well known Broadway shows. Joe hasn't missed a single session in three years! And he's not alone in this show biz devotion - several members of the class have enrolled at least ten times and fully expect to be 'lifers.' When Dr. Starr performs surgery under local anaesthetic, he often plays showtunes in the background and sings along. He says it relaxes him and the patients as well. Pretty strong medicine!
WE NEED YOUR INPUT Some of our best ideas have come from students of the school who have expressed their needs to us. The following ideas were yours: Toddler Arts, Architecture for Kids, Photography for Kids, integrated arts classes for young children, a course in Colour for adults and Advanced Drawing and Sketching for adults. These classes are all now running as very successful programs, thanks to you. Would
you like... Other Ideas? We welcome your suggestions. Please give us your feedback. Send your e-mail to info@avenueroadartsschool.com. |
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©
1999 Avenue Road Arts School
Artistic works are © their respective creators. Please contact the School for information on obtaining permission to reproduce any text or images from this site. |
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John
Viljoen, artist and instructor at the Avenue Road Arts School, thinks
of himself as a "painter who teaches, not a teacher who paints."
This perception of the 'artist' passing on his techniques is not new
to the artistic realm. This is how we have learned tried and true techniques
and methods used by the old masters. It is the amalgamation of the old
with the new that makes John Viljoen's Figure Drawing and Portraiture
classes so unique. The handing down of information in a sequential manner
is a gratifying experience for the many students who study with John,
term after term. Some students have taken as many as twenty courses
with John. They are delighted to be learning classical techniques in
a modern context. 
This
fall, 20 children and parents, from the Alpine Ski Club, transformed
old ski equipment and ski clothing into large, colourful creations
that will grace the clubhouse for the coming year.
Joe's
love for Broadway showtunes began as a child at Camp Winnebago, where
he often had a leading role in camp musicals. His passion for musical
theatre was indulged by his parents who would take him to New York
to see classics like My Fair Lady and Guys and Dolls.
He still enjoys revivals of the old shows. Joe's idea of a perfect
weekend in New York is to see four musicals in 48 hours. Luckily his
wife shares his passion!