Get Your Creative On

As Architects and Designers, we often look to outside sources and activities for design inspiration.  From looking at the latest magazine article in Architectural Digest to taking a local art class, we are always trying to feed our creative side.  

This past weekend, one of our own architects, and several other architects and artists from around the state, attended a 2-day watercolor workshop that focused on composition, drawing and painting buildings/landscapes, and studied light and how it enhances the environment, and in turn, an artistic sketch or rendering.

The workshop was hosted by Birmingham's own Forstall Art Center.  The feature artist and workshop teacher was Iain Stewart.  Stewart is an architect and painter, and he teaches watercolor and design drawing to architecture students at Auburn University.  He also travels around the world sharing his knowledge of watercolor, architectural illustration, and how to use it to capture a "scene" or just the atmosphere of a place or time.   

Day 1: Iain Stewart demonstrates watercolor wash tips and techniques

Day 2: Iain Stewart demonstrates composition and value shading

Day 2: Iain Stewart demonstration and paint palette

Day 1: Alicia's practice following the class demonstration on washes and composition

Day 2: Alicia practice of the initial wash following Iain Stewart's demonstration

Day 2: Iain Stewart demonstrates wash values and "saved lights" in paintings

Day 2: Iain Stewart demonstrates initial layout of a drawing using horizon lines and correct scaling

Day 2: Iain Stewart demonstration on darker washes

Day 2: Alicia's final rendering

We highly recommend attending one of his workshops if you have a chance. You will most certainly come away feeling more knowledgeable and inspired.  

If watercolor isn't your cup of tea, Birmingham has a number of other classes available around town.  Check out these websites for a list of workshops and classes near you.  Get your creative mind going with painting, pottery, cooking, music, woodworking, or even screen printing.  The possibilities and inspiration are endless. 

• Iain Stewart Workshops

• Forstall Art Center Workshops and Classes

• Alabama Art Supply Workshops and Classes

• MAKEbhm Workshops and Classes

• Birmingham Bake & Cook Company Classes

• Sur la Table Cooking Classes

• Red Dot Gallery Classes

Photo Credits: Alicia Pughsley, Architect and Associate at BPA

B'ham Rising: Spring has Sprung

You’ve probably noticed a change in your surroundings over the last couple of weeks. The cold tones of winter have melted away to be replaced with a panoply of the brightest greens and purest blues you’ve ever seen. Spring has sprung in Birmingham and there’s no better time to be outside in our city! Birmingham has a wealth of public outdoor space and its calling your name.

Situated at the very center of downtown, Railroad Park is the heart of the outdoor energy of our city. The park occupies 4 full city blocks and has been the catalyst for much of the growth our urban core has seen since its opening in 2010. Lovingly known as the city’s “front yard,” the lives of its residents are on full display. Grab the hand of someone you love and wander the landscape as trains glide by like kinetic sculpture. Find the workout of your life and some unexpected friendships at one of the park’s free exercise classes. Whatever you do, come and experience for yourself the range of activities Railroad Park has to offer.

If you’re looking for more of a walk on the wild side, you need look no further than the edge of the city center. Two former mining camps have been repurposed as nature preserves that offer more rugged experiences for the bold among us. Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve has a network of wooded trails that will make you forget you’re in the middle of one of the city’s resurgent neighborhoods. Red Mountain Park is one of Birmingham’s newest outdoor spaces. Thrill seekers will enjoy the park’s many adventures, including the Red Ore zip-line tour.

The Red Rock Ridge and Valley Trail System is the name given to a vision for connecting the many cherished outdoor spaces Birmingham has to offer. Far from a pipe dream, the first of the systems many trails has been constructed and is open to the public. The crown jewel of the trail is Rotary Trail Park, where the trail runs four blocks through a former rail line that is sunken many feet below street level. Set to open next week, Rotary Trail Park is unlike anything you have encountered in Birmingham or beyond.

Your outdoor opportunities are not limited to those listed here. Walk along the historic, tree-lined Highland Avenue. Take in the urban theatre all around you as you dine street-side at a downtown café. It doesn’t really matter what you do so long as it’s outside. A brand new Birmingham is waiting for you.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from our family to yours! 

Congratulations to our Winners!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our giveaway!  We're excited to announce our two winners!

Jessica Gemeinhart has won the YellowHammer Creative Sloss Poster

Susan Roberts McWilliams has won the YellowHammer Creative "It's Nice to Have You in Birmingham" shirt

Make sure to subscribe to our blog and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep a lookout for our next giveaway!

GIVEAWAY ENDS TONIGHT!

GIVEAWAY ENDS TONIGHT!!

This is your last chance to enter to win some awesome Birmingham paraphernalia designed by Yellowhammer Creative. We'll be ending the giveaway tonight at MIDNIGHT (CT). Tomorrow we'll draw two names and announce the lucky recipients! Don't miss out on this chance!

How do you enter to win you ask?

01. GO to our Facebook page ! (click on the little facebook logo below!)

02. LIKE our original Giveaway post & SHARE our page to be entered to win! 

03. FOLLOW us on Instagram for an additional entry.

Auburn Internship Fair Recap

We had a great time at the Auburn University AIAS Internship Fair! The Auburn students brought their best, and we were definitely impressed! Those of you that interviewed with us had the opportunity to see some of our work through a virtual reality headset, and you were also entered in a drawing to win a virtual reality headset of your own. Congratulations to the giveaway winner, 4th year student Carley Chastain!

It was a pleasure to meet all of you. We wish you the best of luck on your studio projects and your futures!

Also, don't forget that we have another giveaway coming up on March 18th! More information can be found here: http://www.bpa.net/blog/2016/2/29/its-giveaway-time and our social media accounts.

It's Giveaway Time!

We're excited to be giving away the following from one of our favorite Birmingham design companies Yellowhammer Creative!
--Yellowhammer Creative 12"x18" print. This is the fourth design in the ongoing "Neighborhood Drawing" series of Birmingham. Hand Printed, 4 color, on French cover stock. #58/75
--Yellowhammer Creative "It's nice to have you in Birmingham" shirt!

For a chance to win:

LIKE our Facebook post and SHARE our Facebook page to be entered to win!

FOLLOW us on Instagram and Twitter for an additional entry

We'll announce the winner on March 18th.

B'ham Rising : An Introduction

The city of Birmingham is being transformed right before our eyes. The Magic City benefits from a unique combination of resources that led to the city's early development and continued growth. However, Birmingham's population peaked in the 1950s and has since suffered from the effects of suburban sprawl. The steady migration of people out of the city has been reversed thanks to a concentrated effort to bring people, activity, culture and life back to the city's urban core. Recent reinvestment in the city's downtown neighborhoods has increased momentum behind the rapid growth. This revitalization of the city is not only attracting locals back into the downtown areas, but is also garnering attention across the nation. Just check out this link from Lonely Planet: 

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/the-south/birmingham/travel-tips-and-articles/birmingham-alabama-the-souths-newest-rising-star

Birmingham is more than just a resilient, Southern city rising from the ashes; Birmingham is BPA's home. It is exciting to witness the change as spectators, but more so, it is an honor to use our design talents to contribute to the revitalization of our city. Visit our blog in the future to read more about some of the things that we love about the city we call home.

Photo Credit: Charlie Abram, Graduate Architect at BPA