About the Atelier

An Atelier, in the original usage of the word, is simply the studio of an artist, wherein his (or her) works are created, and in which a small number of promising students receive instruction directly from the Master of the atelier.

Blog Entry #1

Everyone who knows me knows I’m “high-tech-challenged,” and struggle to keep up with the modern world. But at the urging of many of my friends, I’ve finally decided to have a go at writing a blog, so here is my first entry.

Someone called this to my attention recently:

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=2387713

The gist of it is that this investment advisor, “Doug Up” (I suspect this is a nom de plume) thinks it would be a good move to buy paintings or commission portraits from me now, and from another artist, Dan Gerhartz. I concur with his astute analysis, and add some more reasons to buy my paintings. As Mr. Up says, my reputation is growing, and the law of supply and demand favors me as a good investment prospect because the supply will become fixed as soon as I die, and I’m 65 years old as this is written, soon to turn 66. On top of that, I ride motorcycles, which some folks regard as a dangerous activity. So those of you who have bought my paintings in the past would be wise to buy some more before some calamity befalls me, and those who have been thinking about it might consider doing it soon, before a truck runs over me or some other such thing happens. Whereas I have supreme confidence in my ability to remain alive while riding a motorcycle, with 44 years of experience to protect me from the dangers of the road, there are those who think I’m a lunatic with a death wish when they see pictures of me riding on race tracks at my age (pictures of this are on the Photo Album section of my web site,) which characterization might or might not be accurate. The intelligent art collector could do a lot worse than buy paintings from an artist in his senior years who continues to engage in pursuits that most people regard as extremely dangerous.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Virgil Elliott

Workshops

Portrait/head study workshop September 23, 24 & 25, 2010 at the Atelier of Virgil Elliott on the former Eagle Ridge Winery, in Penngrove, California. $400 includes the model fee for all three days. Space is limited. Contact Virgil at (707) 664-8198 or e-mail for more information. The Atelier of Virgil Elliott is located 40 miles north of San Francisco in California's Wine Country.

Individuals or schools interested in hosting Virgil Elliott workshops, contact Virgil at VirgilElliott@AOL.com.