Local artist demonstrating painting techniques Saturday

Maricopa’s own Mohan Toopal will be hosting a drawing and painting demonstration at the Maricopa Public Library on Saturday, July 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. 
 
Toopal, who has lived in Maricopa since 2005, is a software engineer with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. However, his great love is art.

Recently, he began a new series called Daily Paintings, paintings done every day on a small scale and available for bids on his web site.

“I have always thought of drawing as something anybody should be able to do. If they think they cannot, they will be amazed at their discovery of this latent talent in them when they are taught to represent objects they see, on paper,” said Toopal.

On Saturday Toopal will be demonstrating either a still life or live model portrait, focusing on his style and techniques. “I will also explain the process as I draw and paint to help people understand the procedure. Everyone is welcome to bring drawing pads and follow me,” Toopal said.

Toopal will be scheduling classes very soon. He offers two levels: beginner (three sessions and advanced (four sessions). “The concept in my classes is about how to represent objects as you see them, which is the concept behind fine art, though not as a photograph; there are cameras to do that.

As for his style, Toopal enjoys depicting the effect of light and shade on human forms, typically in their everyday lives. He also does commissioned paintings and heirloom portraits. His paintings hang in numerous private collections and have won awards in juried shows. Samples of Toopal’s work are available for viewing at his website www.painterlycanvas.com.

“My classes are geared towards building the foundation to becoming a proficient artist, not producing a masterpiece in three or four sessions. On the contrary, I would help participants develop masterpieces out of practice work. In addition, they would be able to use this knowledge to produce high quality paintings on their own,” said Toopal.

“My philosophy in teaching is like the old Chinese proverb: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach him to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” 

For more information on Saturday’s demonstration or signing up for classes, contact Toopal at 623-252-4558 or [email protected].

If you go:
What: Drawing and painting demonstration by Mohan Toopal
When:  Saturday, July 24, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where:  Maricopa Public Library
Cost:  Free (refreshments provided)

Photo by Joyce Hollis