Portrait of Nikki Barber as she teaches an online printmaking class, by Shruti Ghatak
Instructors at the League are encouraged to take each other’s classes. It is a fun way for us to continue our learning, get new ideas, and stay connected with each other. Shruti Ghatak has been taking all the League classes she can, and evidently she sketches our portraits while we are teaching.
Portrait of Ruthie V. by Shruti Ghatak
Ghatak received her Master of Fine arts degree in painting from the NY Studio School, and an MS in Organic Chemistry (specialized in Color technology) from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India. She has an interdisciplinary background and studied both Science and Art with the belief that crossing boundaries sometimes opens up new ways of seeing. She enjoys drawing and painting a variety of subjects from life, memory, and imagination – including figures, landscapes, still life and portraits. In an online Quickie with Nikki Barber, she created a monoprint:
“Initially I started with a photograph, but I was having hard time working from a photographic reference (maybe because I am not used to doing that in my practice at all) and at the end I stopped looking at the photo and started working intuitively. I felt more free and into the process than following something. It worked for me.”
Shruti Ghatak drawing from observation in Fran O’Neill’s Giant Figures class 2020 …as if everyone stands on their drawing
Why do you teach?
“Being a teacher is like a river- what you received you transfer to your students. “
“I enjoy guiding students to find their individual expression. Here is a selfish reason: teaching allows me to witness the joy of learning new things again and again.”
I see you’ve been enjoying our online classes as a student as well. Can you say a little about what it’s like to take an online class with us?
“The best way to be a good teacher is to understand your student. And to understand someone you have to be in his/her shoes! When I take classes and see things from a student’s perspective I get an idea of what a student might be expecting or thinking when I am teaching a concept.”
“You only get to know how it feels from the other side is by being on the other side. I have sat in few of the quickie classes and I learned how to make the online teaching platform even better. Every teacher brings in a new perspective, their unique way of teaching and there is always something to learn from everyone.”
“I love learning new things. This year I am learning Printmaking – a completely new medium for me and I am totally enjoying it.”
Nikki Barber’s online printmaking crew, with Shruti Ghatak
“I learn new things as often as I can. This year I am learning printmaking with Nikki Barber at the League. It’s a new medium for me. I am totally enjoying it and will continue to explore more. Nikki is an awesome instructor and an amazing printmaker. I would highly recommend taking her classes. I am going to explore relief printmaking next. Just did a quickie class with Nikki to see whether I will be able to follow along online. Printmaking is a process based class. Transferring that into an online platform is not an easy thing. But you will be amazed to know that it totally works. I am going through the supply list and cannot wait for my next venture. The best part is we will be hand printing. I think that gives me more freedom as I don’t always have to depend on a press. I can do it on my studio table.”
Current Project “I generally work on multiple series and like going back and forth. Teaching took a lot of my studio time last year. This year my goal is to manage my time better and save some for my own work. I am working on a interior space and still lives.”
Shruti Ghatak in Fran O’Neill’s Giant Figures class 2020
Shruti Ghatak is an intuitive teacher. I watched her lead her day one beginning drawing class in a series of exercises for form, mark-making, creative expression, and perspective. She didn’t tell her students how to draw. Instead, she created an environment that encouraged them to look, and to trust themselves. She gently fosters intuition and discovery, quietly growing the artist from inside out.
Keith Pfeiffer is new to the Seattle Artist League. He comes from an illustration background, and is venturing to make his living as a fine artist. I met Pfeiffer when …
Carmen Herrera is a Cuban-American abstract, minimalist painter. She was born in Havana and has lived in New York City since the mid-1950s. She studied alongside famous painters such as …
Interview with Shruti Ghatak
Instructors at the League are encouraged to take each other’s classes. It is a fun way for us to continue our learning, get new ideas, and stay connected with each other. Shruti Ghatak has been taking all the League classes she can, and evidently she sketches our portraits while we are teaching.
Ghatak received her Master of Fine arts degree in painting from the NY Studio School, and an MS in Organic Chemistry (specialized in Color technology) from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India. She has an interdisciplinary background and studied both Science and Art with the belief that crossing boundaries sometimes opens up new ways of seeing. She enjoys drawing and painting a variety of subjects from life, memory, and imagination – including figures, landscapes, still life and portraits. In an online Quickie with Nikki Barber, she created a monoprint:
“Initially I started with a photograph, but I was having hard time working from a photographic reference (maybe because I am not used to doing that in my practice at all) and at the end I stopped looking at the photo and started working intuitively. I felt more free and into the process than following something. It worked for me.”
…as if everyone stands on their drawing
Why do you teach?
“Being a teacher is like a river- what you received you transfer to your students. “
“I enjoy guiding students to find their individual expression. Here is a selfish reason: teaching allows me to witness the joy of learning new things again and again.”
I see you’ve been enjoying our online classes as a student as well. Can you say a little about what it’s like to take an online class with us?
“The best way to be a good teacher is to understand your student. And to understand someone you have to be in his/her shoes! When I take classes and see things from a student’s perspective I get an idea of what a student might be expecting or thinking when I am teaching a concept.”
“You only get to know how it feels from the other side is by being on the other side. I have sat in few of the quickie classes and I learned how to make the online teaching platform even better. Every teacher brings in a new perspective, their unique way of teaching and there is always something to learn from everyone.”
“I love learning new things. This year I am learning Printmaking – a completely new medium for me and I am totally enjoying it.”
“I learn new things as often as I can. This year I am learning printmaking with Nikki Barber at the League. It’s a new medium for me. I am totally enjoying it and will continue to explore more. Nikki is an awesome instructor and an amazing printmaker. I would highly recommend taking her classes. I am going to explore relief printmaking next. Just did a quickie class with Nikki to see whether I will be able to follow along online. Printmaking is a process based class. Transferring that into an online platform is not an easy thing. But you will be amazed to know that it totally works. I am going through the supply list and cannot wait for my next venture. The best part is we will be hand printing. I think that gives me more freedom as I don’t always have to depend on a press. I can do it on my studio table.”
Current Project
“I generally work on multiple series and like going back and forth. Teaching took a lot of my studio time last year. This year my goal is to manage my time better and save some for my own work. I am working on a interior space and still lives.”
Shruti Ghatak is an intuitive teacher. I watched her lead her day one beginning drawing class in a series of exercises for form, mark-making, creative expression, and perspective. She didn’t tell her students how to draw. Instead, she created an environment that encouraged them to look, and to trust themselves. She gently fosters intuition and discovery, quietly growing the artist from inside out.
If this sounds like an approach you’d enjoy, consider taking one of Ghatak’s beginning drawing classes, or her watercolor painting class. We have broken the classes down to 2, 4, and 8 week sessions so you don’t have to plan too far ahead. You can just take it a couple of weeks at a time. Classes start next week, so now is the perfect time to sign up. Click here to find your online art class.
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Keith Pfeiffer is new to the Seattle Artist League. He comes from an illustration background, and is venturing to make his living as a fine artist. I met Pfeiffer when …
Carmen Herrera
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