Why attend a workshop ?
In a workshop atmosphere, where you are around like minded individuals, it's easier to learn something new. It's a concentrated focus and you are able to retain and put to use the info offered.
When I taught at various art centers and places like the YWCA, classes typically lasted 3 hours and took place over a series of 6 weeks. Many people continued one class after another. The typical scenario is, arrive at class, get your painting out of storage, get your paints and materials set up, grab a cup of coffee and settle in to paint. Now, there's about 2.5 hours left.
The next phase was the 'let's see where was I' ? So colors begin getting mixed and the 'matching' phase starts. Hard to just jump in after a week away from a painting. You would get to paint for about 2 hours - make a little progress if you were lucky and begin to clean up and put away your painting to be revisited next week. Doesn't sound very exciting does it ?
A plein air painting workshop or any kind of workshop, should point you towards a goal.(*see below)
Studying is great but, at some point in the Arts - it's all in your hands.
I was lucky enough to have had the wonderful artist Lawrence C. Goldsmith,AWS, as a friend and mentor for over 30 years. It was an inspiration for me to just be able to paint alongside him. Did I end up painting like him ? - absolutely not.
But, then, I gravitated toward him because I was already experimenting with the universal image.
I paint outdoors - I have since the mid seventies. It's where I get my inspiration. I'm never out there wondering what to paint.
Most people who paint, or want to learn to paint, or practice any of the Arts, do so initially to express themselves. To be an eternal student in some art class, will never allow this to happen because, it doesn't come from the Heart.
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My workshop participants are usually looking for a jump start, a direction or just a fun and satisfying experience.
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Goals : Students at the end of a 5 day workshop will be able to recognize a strong composition and see values using grisalle. This will enable them to make decisions when doing problem solving on their own, painting on location.
Grisaille studies, directly on canvas will enable students to commit to a composition and value plan instead of constantly adjusting their values and shadows, commonly known as ‘chasing the light’. This eliminates the
also common fragmented, unfocused painting.
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You will learn the tools to enable you to develop a style and make decisions based on good composition, lighting and color when working on your own.
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The greatest good we can do for others
is not just to share our riches with them,
but to reveal theirs.
Zig
Ziglar
