Past and current student reviews
“Josh’s drawing apprenticeship is growing me in ways I never would have achieved on my own or in a traditional classroom setting. Groups are very small so we learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses very quickly. Josh is tuned in to where we are lacking and patiently challenges us each week with tailored instruction and homework assignments. He allows personal style but cares too much about our artistic growth to allow our personals styles to interfere with skill development. It isn’t easy by any means but it is important and we all enjoy each other. This apprenticeship is the best thing I’ve done for myself in a very long time.”
Ellie Deleon, past apprentice
“I enjoy the atmosphere of the studio. It’s fun yet serious. My work has become stronger as I have begun to see the human form through the lenses of geometry, anatomy, perspective. I appreciate Josh’s teaching style, it’s very responsive; he adapts a lesson or alters an exercise to better meet my understanding at the moment.”
Vicki Nelson, current apprentice
To truly become a master, you must never stop learning. So naturally, I jumped at the opportunity to learn with Joshua Diedrich. The apprenticeship has opened a lot of doors I did not know existed, and helped me unload a lot of baggage I unwittingly carried with me. In one of our first lessons Joshua said “Don’t bank on the piece, bank on your ability as an artist.” A focus on iteration and anatomy has strengthened the backbone of my skill. Before the apprenticeship, I had the taste to know something was amiss and to reach for more. During the apprenticeship, I have earned the technical skill to execute correctly and grow exponentially with honest critique and critical feedback. Whereas most people have the intuition to know an art piece is lacking, Joshua has (and is training us to have) the knowledge to discern which critical elements need addressing. My apprenticeship with Joshua Diedrich has giving me the structure and support to build an incredible skill and breadth of work I could only dream about before. I’m ecstatic to see what the future holds.
rachel McGuffin, past apprentice
Testimonials from models
Last winter I was lucky enough to be a part of an amazing art project, Naked Identity, that featured many strong women leaders in our community. I was blown away because many of these women I look up to and admire, I still can’t believe some consider me to be in the same ranks.
For me the impact of this project forced me to confront many of my own insecurities and I had to engage with myself in a way that I had avoided for a long time. This brought up lots of past self-hate, past self-neglect, past self-doubt and still current body dysmorphia. My initial gut reaction to the project was amazement in the size and beauty. My initial gut reaction to my statue was shock — in many different ways. But as that feeling tried to rise and take over I found myself overcoming it and I realized how much I’ve grown and how much I’ve learned to believe, trust and respect myself.
I don’t know if I still comprehend the full effect but everytime I walked in, people were in love with the project. When I told them the women were all leaders that were present at the event — shoot some of them cried 🔥 when I said I was one of them they hugged me and thanked me for my gift, for my vulnerability, for being unafraid and for my self-confidence. They immediately saw what took me years to pull out of myself. They saw it immediately because it’s always been there.I realized then it wasn’t about me, it was about empowering other people to be open and naked and true to their identity. I hope when people continue to experience Naked Identity it helps them on their journey of healing and I hope they know I’m there for them in many forms 🧡
Nikki, figure model