Student Testimonials
Laura Bayon:
"Classes at Carol's seem to be my home-away-from-home; the people there have become like family. She has taught me to look at the nuances of every line and shadow- I cannot see someone's face now without finding beauty there! With her warmth and grace, she has opened a door to looking at the world around us with amazement and a hunger to take it in and put down on paper what we feel."
Gail Cheney:
"Carol has that extraordinary and rare combination of being a great artist and a fantastic teacher. Her group and one-on-on instruction, demonstrations, conversations, and critiques make her workshops an experience that makes it worthwhile for me to drive to New Orleans from the Mississippi Coast on a regular basis."
Pam Moses:
"Carol's enthusiasm for art, and what it can mean in one's life, spills over to her students like beautiful music. Encouragement is second nature to her...and passion...Passion for loving, learning, and appreciating art. She shines the light on the wonderful world of art and shares what an amazing place that is as she gives us the confidence to keep reaching and all the while teaching us the skills to make it possible."
Claudia Senter:
“Carol is a great teacher. She is knowledgeable, experienced, patient and supportive. I have been taking portrait classes from Carol for a year as well as a few Saturday workshops. I really love drawing, and the Blue Easel Club is a very enjoyable way to learn.”
Lois Osborne:
"I have taken art workshops in TN, SC, FL & LA but I have never enjoyed them as much as I do the Blue Easel Club workshops at Carol Peebles' Studio. My favorite day of the week is Tuesday because I take Portrait Drawing and Life Drawing classes from Carol. The high spirits and serious attitude toward art, coupled with humor and encouragement create an atmosphere conducive to learning and growing. Carol's constant teaching thru demos, one-on-one encouragement and corrections, group lectures, and group critique keeps the classes and workshops lively and educational."
Carole Corte:
"After taking a beginning drawing class in the summer of 2008, I began taking Carol Peebles' portrait and figure drawing class and have not stopped drawing and studying with her since. From day one, I found her instructive, insightful, energetic, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, encouraging, complimentary and fun! I quickly learned to sketch and to draw portraits and the figure from life. Just as important, I learned to see. Carol incorporates the classical atelier method of teaching, such as sighting, measuring, line quality, value and form. But Carol adds so much more to each class because she embodies the Art Spirit, and by example, teaches all of her students how to live the life of the artist every day."
Jessica Bertsch:
“This Class has taught me to love the learning and process of drawing, rather than fixating on an end result. The community that Carol has created in her class allows everyone to grow into their own artist.”
Samuel Hindman:
"It's difficult to articulate why I'd recommend Carol and the Blue Easel Club, because my professional career in the arts and Carol are inseparable. In my final year of high school with the prospect of going to an art college in New York City, I felt the necessity of taking figure drawing, and I joined one of Carol's classes. Carol's method of simplifying the form as just shapes of light and dark opened my eyes to a clearer more understood way of seeing my environment. As soon as I was offered it, I joined the Blue Easel Club's first workshop. Since that time, I have been a student in about a dozen of Carol's weekly classes and various workshops. She introduced me to the Bargue and Gerome method of drawing, a complex understanding of anatomy, portraiture, the quality of light on the surface of skin and fabric, and a greater admiration for the things and faces around me. I now live in New York City but will always find a way to come back to New Orleans for a night of drawing, laughs, good food, and good people. The Blue Easel Club and Carol's nurturing manner of teaching set the path for my journey as a professional artist. I owe all of my successes to the foundations that Carol laid. The Blue Easel Club is absolutely a must-do for anyone even curious of drawing representationally- regardless of age or experience.
Lynn Zakem:
"Carol is a teacher who constantly encourages and looks for the strong points in your drawings as well as how to improve. Measuring before jumping ahead to the features is stressed to us and very important for a likeness. Her caring attitude makes the class a very positive experience."
Young Allen:
"The class teaches me patience to focus on the subject matter and greatly improves my drawing skills. I'm so happy and lucky I am in Blue Easel Club class now."
Leslie Clark:
"I was always interested in art, particularly drawing, but never learned the basics until I joined Carol Peebles' Blue Easel Club. Through her instructional talents combined with patience, artist Carol Peebles taught me and other members the skills, beauty and satisfaction of learning classical drawing. It is an honor I will always treasure, to be a member of the Blue Easel Club."
Sophia & Gigi McPhail:
"I draw every Monday night class and I love it. You should do it, too." Sophia
"It's the BEST!" Gigi
Bobbie Simon:
"BEC takes you on a journey, teaching you step by step techniques of drawing where you can see your own improvement from session to session. It's more than just an art class. There's an atmosphere where you can escape, there's music playing in the background, there's passages being read from inspirational writers; and local personalities visiting to tell their stories and/or demonstrate their talents. When you return from your escape, not only have you been inspired and taught to draw, but you also created new and wonderful friendships. I promise that you will never regret letting BEC or Carol be a part of your "escape."
Dr. Charles Dupin:
Carol's teaching style combines enormous talent, love for her art and the ability to make being in her classes a heck of a lot of fun. She is unbelievably kind and patient with her students and we all feel that we are becoming better draftsmen as a result of her inspiration.
P.S. the red beans are another great reason to come.
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