EXPRESSIVE PAINTING
August 26 & 28 / 2019
BACK DOOR STUDIO in MCMINNVILLE
3-day workshop / 10am – 4pm
$
What continually excites me is seeking new ways to interpret paintings then exploring techniques to express them. I might let the idea evolve organically or intensionally push it toward expression and abstraction. Through interpreting, a subject becomes a product of my own vision. We’ll be working with familiar concepts in new ways that allow for play and encourage experimentation as we hone our own unique style. I’ll demo with a portrait but choose any subject with strong, simple value shapes — darks, lights and mid-tones. Let’s keep the passion alive by making paintings that we love!
DAY 1: I will present exercises for pushing the envelope of expression, intended to keep us in the “PLAY” zone instead of just focusing on the end product. “Mistakes” are good! We are not looking to paint “better”, our goal is to paint with personality and individuality. We’ll be making quick studies, not finished paintings. Some might instantly turn out. Others can be tweaked later. We’ll pour paint over paper treated with acrylic to use for backgrounds. We’ll also make a quick value study for a guide.
DAY 2: Reevaluate design choices as we use our sketches and studies as inspiration for painting with a limited color palette over the poured backgrounds. I’ll show how easily you can lift on treated paper and how to effectively layer darks. Make several starts of the same subject to explore different possibilities. Ending with an art share to celebrate our successes and consider what we might improve.
Ending with an art share to celebrate our successes and consider what we might improve.
Above are three starts of a subject I’m playing with, interpreting it over and over. It’s from a photo I took at the Manuel Antonio park in Costa Rica. There’s huge benefit in painting the same subject several times in different ways. It frees us up to explore options that we might overlook if we’re playing it safe with just one precious painting.
SHE’S GOLDEN
This painting is currently in San Diego at the Western Federation Watercolor Society show.
BLOG (see Day 6)
Registration will be open soon…
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