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Watts Atelier has new classes out for Summer 2012! The 10 week classes are from July 9th-September 16th!



With new one day Sunday classes!

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But just to showcase how incredibly talented these teachers are here they are.

Jeffery R Watts
Founder
Jeff Watts studied at The California Art Institute where he was soon invited to teach as he began his illustration career in the movie industry. However, Jeff’s desire to become an easel painter would draw him back to San Diego where he started a small life drawing and painting studio which has evolved into Watts Atelier of the Arts now managed by Jeff and his wife, Krista.

Jeff's oil paintings have won numerous awards including First Place Portrait category and Second Place Landscape category from the Artist's Magazine, two consecutive Second Place Awards at the Salon International Exhibition, three Honor Awards from the Portrait Society of America, 3 Awards of Excellence from Oil Painters of America and 3 Top 100 Awards from Arts for the Parks. Watts's work has been featured in Southwest Art , American Artist, Art of the West, Western Art Collector, American Art Collector, Drawing and Workshop magazines. He holds Master Signature member status from the Oil Painters of America and is a Signature member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association and an artist member of the California Art Club. Jeff participates in the prestigious Prix de West Invitational at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City and was recently honored with a Solo Exhibition at the Taos Art Museum and Fechin House. He is represented by Trailside Galleries in Scottsdale, AZ and Jacksonhole, WY and Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio, Texas.




Erik Gist
Instructor-
Erik M. Gist received his B.A. from SDSU in 1998. He began studying with Jeff Watts in 1996, three years later he began to teach and has done so for the last seven years. Erik has worked in the video game industry as a concept designer and 3-D artist and is now working as a freelance illustrator. Erik's clients include Wizards of the Coast, Upperdeck, DC Comics, Boom! Studios, Palladium Books, Blizzard Entertainment, Viking Childrens Books, Monkey Brain Books, Quart Publishing, and Chiat-Day. His work can be seen in Spectrum: the best in fantastic art for the last four years and Aphrodesia: art of the female form 1 .




Meadow Gist
Instructor
Meadow Gist has studied at Watts Atelier for the past six years, and has taught there for the last three. She began her art career in the corporate field painting displays and murals for a major retail chain. Her work has been exhibited as a finalist in the International Artist Magazine's Still Lifes and Florals Competition 2006 and as a "Top 50" selection at Salon International 2007. Meadow is represented by Willow Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona.




Lucas Graciano
Instructor
Lucas has been attending the Watts Atelier since 2001. He has worked in the video game industry working in Visual Development. Some of his game credits include: SOCOM 2 and 3, God of War, Alien Hominid, and Twisted

Metal: HO. Lucas now freelances as an illustrator, some of his clients include: Sony Computer Entertainment, SOE, Wizards of the Coast, Reef, Upper Deck, Blizzard, White Wolf, and Quarto Publishing. His work can be seen in “Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art”, “The Art of World of Warcraft TCG” as well as “Drawing and Painting the Undead”. Lucas was also a finalist in the 2008 Cover Competition for "American Artist Drawing" magazine.





Stanislav Prokopenko
Instructor
Stan Prokopenko has studied at Watts Atelier for the past seven
years. He was awarded the National Foundation of Advancement in the Arts, Level 1 Award and later became a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. In addition, Stan wrote an article on animation for Imagine Magazine at Johns Hopkins University and created an animated short film, “A Game of Pool”, which was featured on all American Airlines flights September through December of 2004. He is now focusing on his fine art career.





Jim Hahn
Instructor
Jim has studied at Watts Atelier since 2004. He is currently one of a handful of artists in the student teacher program who is working towards a full-time career as an artist and teacher. He has worked in the sign and outdoor advertising industry for more than 25 years as a journeyman painter and graphic designer. Jim has done a number of large commissioned murals including the one that currently displays above the entrance to to our own San Diego Zoo.





Ben Young
Instructor
Ben Young has studied at Watts Atelier for the past six years. He has worked as a freelance illustrator and conceptual designer. Clients include Sony Entertainment, Reflexive Entertainment, Upper Deck and Blizzard.




Kelly Mellos
Instructor
Kelly Mellos is an emerging representational artist, specializing in portrait and figurative work. She has studied art and art history throughout her life, and has committed to training professionally over the last three years, after a course of events led her back to pursuing her childhood passion as a career. She has traveled extensively and has been artistically inspired through her personal journeys around the world. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, with minors in German and International Business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master’s degree in Marketing from San Diego State University, and thirteen years of marketing and development experience with the San Diego Symphony, Arts Center Foundation, and motivational speaker Tony Robbins. Kelly is an Associate Artist Member of the California Art Club, a member of Oil Painters of America, a member of the Portrait Society of America and a volunteer for the San Diego Visual Arts Network.




Robert Watts
Instructor
Robert is the consumate professional. His credits include lead illustrator for Ryan Aeronautical, Navy Combat Artist during Vietnam, founding President of the Society of Illustrators of San Diego.

His awards include, but are not limited to, 'Best of Show' and Franklin Mint Awards at the American Society of Aviation Artist exhibitions in 1992-93.

Mr. Watts attended both Pratt Institute and Art Center. With over 30 years of experience, Robert Watts has worked for varied clients including NASA, American Airlines, General Dynamics, and the U.S. Navy.

Mr. Watts is currently one of the premiere architectural illustrators in San Diego and a signature member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.





Doug Stambaugh
Instructor
Doug Stambaugh began training at Watts Atelier of the Arts in 2000 he began working professionally soon after. He has worked for such clients as Sony Cinematic Solutions, Hyundai, Millar Lite, Walmart, Frontline, White Wolf Publishing and IPulp Fiction. Doug has just finished writing and painting his first original graphic novel The Cobweb Detective Club.



Court Jones
Instructor

Court received his BA in Studio Art from UCSD in 1996 and has studied at the Watts Atelier since 2001. He began teaching here in 2003. Mostly, he works as a freelance illustrator. And has done print work for clients such as Atlantic Records, Rolling Stone Magazine, Upper Deck, Pacific San Diego Magazine, and Blizzard Entertainment, among others. Court also does personal and institutional portrait commissions and has won several awards from the San Diego Portrait Society for his work, including Best in Show for 2011. Also in 2011, he was named Master Caricaturist of the Year by the International Society of Caricature Artists. You can find more of his Portraiture and Fine art work here.



Tom Babbey
Instructor
Tom Babbey has studied at the Watts Atelier for the past 5 years. An active naturalist, Tom's love for wildlife led him to discover his passion for animal art and creature design at an early age. Tom currently works as a freelance illustrator and concept artist, with clients including Upper Deck entertainment, LCD Dreams, and Ignitus Innovations Inc.

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Updated with the new summer schedule!