Hobart Jackson & The Life Drawing Artists

Jackson is a retired KU professor after 40 years teaching in the

School of Architecture. Educated at Princeton, Carnegie-Mellon, and

Southern Illinois Universities in engineering; graphic, environmental,

and photographic design; life drawing and fine art painting have

paralleled his teaching career. He co-founded with others of KU

ties, this life drawing group now known as the Valley Lane Artists.

For Jane, painting, particularly “Plein Air” (outdoors) is like meditation—

everything else falls away, and she is totally present in the NOW, a beautiful

moment suspended outside of time. Any worry disappears as Jane becomes

completely absorbed in her work. This is the beauty of Plein Air painting!

Currently, Jane is enjoying the capturing of human form with the Valley Lane

Artists. This practice of life drawing is one of the oldest, ongoing traditions in

the world of art. It helps one to “see” and record the endless shapes and forms

of the human, in any medium the artist chooses. Jane’s background is art school

in Boston, and night classes at RISD in Providence, plus national and regional

workshops.

Ted is one of the founding members of this life drawing group that

began meeting in the 1980sand continues today. He enjoys setting

down LIFE in drawings and how members of the group DRAW LIFE

out of each other. “Our drawings convey our lively celebration of life

in the studio.” Professor emeritus of French, he taught French language,

literature, and culture, especially the interrelations of literature and the

arts in France. Additionally he taught Freshman Honors tutorials, and

Humanities courses, with particular emphasis on the interrelations of

the seven Liberal Arts. Ted conducts his well-known annual spring

Stop Day walking tour of Mount Oread.

Location: 1335 Valley Lane, Lawrence, KS 66044

— Valley Lane Access from University Drive, just east of Iowa Street

*** Also at this location: Shakura Jackson