Bringing out the artist within modest students

Since November on Tuesday afternoons, local Monets, Van Goghs and Picassos united at the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC in Cedarhurst to attend an art class led by a local artist.

During the last class for the current session called “Discover The Artist Within You,” held on April 25, students created a fruit still life using chalk pastels.
The first session, “Bring Out The Artist Within You,” began on Nov. 29, and continued for six classes. Under the guidance of Lawrence resident and freelance artist Gila Roslyn, students learned about still life arrangements.

Roslyn, who has more than 30 years of professional experience, taught students how to observe structure and form while working with an array of materials. She covered several topics, including composition, color, line, shading and spatial relationships.

“Some people had drawn or painted before and some people were complete novices,” Roslyn said. “I can bring it out of you,” she said, of how her response when she meets modest students.

The second session, “Discover The Artist Within You,” began on Feb. 7 for a total of, eight Tuesdays and included about 12 students. Here Roslyn explored the use of pencils, charcoal and graphite. Students worked on a self-portrait, a live figure fashion drawing, a Monet or Van Gogh piece of art and a fruit still life.

“I used to go to museums with my sketchpad,” Elizabeth Rosenfeld, from Lawrence, said. She attends the class at the JCC, she said, because she has always loved art and never had any formal training outside of a painting class she took in college.

Rosenfeld, 50, grew up in Lawrence, graduated from the Hebrew Academy of Five Towns and Rockaway and now works as a science teacher at the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls in Hewlett Bay Park.

Another Lawrence resident, Paulette Englard, 75, has been painting with the class for the last few weeks. “I like to paint scenery and flowers,” she said.
Another student, Nancy Mizrachi, 64, of Lawrence, is a retired schoolteacher and loves the artist Claude Monet. She worked at Public School 105 in Far Rockaway where she taught fourth grade for 35 years.

“I love art,” Mizrachi said, adding that she found ways to incorporate art with her classes, particularly when her students were tasked with creating bulletin boards. She began the class as a novice and has learned several techniques, including how to blend colors.

Roslyn received her associate’s and bachelor’s degrees from the Fashion Institute of Technology. She also attended Moore College of Art in Philadelphia where she studied fashion illustration. Throughout her career, she has worked in design houses and advertising studios.

The next series of “Bring Out The Artist Within You” with Roslyn will meet on May 9, 16, 23, June 6 and 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. for $105. This workshop will focus on watercolor and acrylic painting on canvas.

To register for the class, contact Rachayle Deutsch at (516) 569-6733, ext. 222 or at rachayle.deutsch@guraljcc.org.