Collaborative Drawing, Inspired by Opera Buffa

This activity is part of the PMA’s virtual April School Vacation Week.

Inspired by Opera Buffa by Carrie Moyer and Sheila Pepe

Carrie Moyer (United States, born 1960) and Sheila Pepe (United States, born 1959), Opera Buffa, 2019, suite of 26 loose-leaf ink and gouache drawings on paper, each 15 x 22 inches. Collection of the artists. Image courtesy Alan Weiner. © the artists.

To collaborate means to work together on an activity, especially to produce or create something, like an artwork. Carrie Moyer and Sheila Pepe talk about collaboration as being fun, playful, and experimental. The two artists often collaborate on artworks together, like Opera Buffa.

In collaborative artworks, each artist brings different knowledge and skills. Carrie is primarily a painter, and knows a lot about colors and how they will interact and mix with one another. Sheila is a sculptor who thinks about space, size, scale, and using found materials.

When the two artists collaborate, Carrie takes the lead on color and Sheila uses her knowledge about space and shape. In this activity, you will work with another artist to create two collaborative drawings. You will use a window in your home as a way to observe and frame life outside.

---

Materials Needed:

• At least 2 pieces of paper

• Your favorite drawing material (Pencils, colored pencils, pastels, etc.)

• A partner

• A window to the outside world

Instructions:

• Find someone, a partner, to help with this activity

• Find a window in your home that has an interesting view to you both

• Look out your window – what do you see?

• Using your drawing material, start drawing what you see outside your window on the paper - your partner should also draw what they are seeing using their own piece of paper and drawing material

  • Tip: sometimes it’s fun to each draw using a different color or material. That way, you can easily see who drew what!

• Draw for about 5 minutes

  • While you are drawing, your partner should also be looking out the window and drawing what they are seeing

• After 5 minutes, pass your paper over to your partner and your partner should pass their drawing over to you

• You should be adding to what your partner has drawn and your partner should add to what you have drawn

• Keep passing the paper back and forth and both adding to the drawing until you both feel it is complete

Once you feel your collaborative drawing is complete, look at Opera Buffa by Carrie Moyer & Sheila Pepe. What do you notice about this artwork? What details can you find

 To hear from the artists directly about creating Opera Buffa, check out this PMA video: https://vimeo.com/397503513

Final Step: Title Your Artwork

Carrie Moyer and Sheila Pepe often create the titles of their artworks together. Working with your partner, come up with a title for each of your collaborative drawings!

• Tip: If you are stuck, look at the artworks together. Shout out or write down words that come to mind when you look at the artwork. Look at the list of words you just came up with and put some of those words together to create your title.

Try a Variation

• Use paint instead of drawing materials

• Draw/paint from your imagination instead of observation

• Try this same activity from different windows in your home and see how that vantage point changes your drawing

• Try this same activity but just passing one paper back and forth:

  • One person starts with the drawing, draws for about 5 minutes, and then passes that same paper on to their partner. Their partner then adds to that same piece of paper

Share it with us!

We want to see your Moyer/Pepe inspired creations! Tag us on Instagram and tell us who you worked with to create your collaborative drawing and what was fun about collaborating with another artist!

Want to spend more time with Carrie and Sheila’s artwork? Check out this video made for Slow Art Day featuring Carrie Moyer and Sheila Pepe: Tabernacles for Trying Times