Spring Workshop!

Hi Everyone! Hope your new year is off to a grand start. We are busy making preparations for our annual spring workshop to be held March 27- April 2, 2015. This year promises to be better than ever - our new studio on the historic square of Clarksville is finished, our printmaking studio is ready to go, and as always our beautiful spring landscape is just steps away. Come enjoy acres of beautiful fields of lush spring grass, huge oaks, pines, hickories and elm starting to leaf out, and blooming dogwood and wild plum. Barn buildings, wildlife and farm animals complete the list of motifs available to paint. Plus, of course, our gorgeous sunsets and twilights!

Our spring workshop includes daily instructor demos, help at your easel, access to our 700+

volume art library and some fine hospitality and home cooking too!

This workshop is organized as a field to studio learning experience for painters of all levels. Our first few days in the field will include several instructor demos (both drawing and painting) and learning a diffferent way to collect reference for studio paintings which will reduce your dependence on photography and bring authenticity to your finished studio work.

During the last half of the workshop, we will work in our brand new beautifully equipped 4000 square foot studio, finishing paintings begun in the field, as well as starting new paintings and learning about indirect painting techniques like glazing, scumbling, velatura and transparent grisaille.

Come join us for an exciting week- one that is guaranteed to introduce you to new ideas and techniques for taking your work to the next level!Registration and information here. 

Want to hear what students have to say? Click here.

Questions? Please email me. Hope to see you this spring.  Happy Painting!

Deborah

Spring?

With cold temperatures and an ice storm just this week, it is hard to imagine that spring is just around the corner. But, it is!  So, it's time to start thinking about painting and drawing outdoors.  Field Sketching I and II  online classes are coming up in April and May, just in time to kick off a great season of work outdoors!  Working from Nature and direct observation is the time honored way to learn how to paint landscapes. Unfortunately, many aspiring landscape painters miss the essential first step: learning to draw and sketch in the field. If you are unable to draw the landscape you will have a much more difficult time learning to paint it convincingly.

Most classes and workshops jump into plein air painting without giving students any tools to make a success of their efforts. This course is designed to give you the tools to draw and sketch in the field with confidence, both improving your plein air paintings and leading to better, finished work in the studio. More information and registration are here.

                                                                        Spring Bouquet

                                                                   10 x 12

September in Taos

Sunset Pines
24 x 18
Available at Isherwood Gallery, Newport, RI

The first time Steve and I visited New Mexico was in the fall of 1998. I had wanted to go for a long time. My first teacher and mentor, Ned Jacob, had lived in New Mexico in his early years as an artist and his stories loomed large in my imagination about how it might be to live a life as a full time artist. We decided to visit Taos, where so many writers and artists in the early 20th century had been lured by the quality of the light, a magnificent landscape and an exotic mix of cultures. The rest is history- we spent a number of years in New Mexico part time and over five years there full time.

This September we will be back in Taos for my workshop. As luck would have it, the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico (PAPNM) are having their Juried Exhibition at the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos at the same time - opening on September 17th. In 2004 I founded Plein Air New Mexico- now PAPNM- which grew to over two hundred members over the next few years. One of the goals I set for the group when I started it was to have an exhibition at a museum. Since my departure in 2007, the group has continued to grow and last year held its first show with a museum venue. So, it is a great pleasure to see this come to fruition, and an honor to be asked to be the Judge of Awards for the show.

September in Taos is spectacular. Changing aspens and cottonwoods, blooming chamisa and wonderful weather make it a perfect time of year to visit. There are still a few spots left in the workshop- details are at the link at the top of the sidebar.

Backyard Magic

Backyard Magic Oil 8 x 6
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I've spent a lot of time this year painting in different parts of the country. Its one of the many blessings of being a landscape painter. These were all beautiful spots- oceans, mountains, deserts, you name it. The 19th century English landscape painter John Constable (one of the fathers of plein air painting) said "I should paint my own places best, for they made me a painter." So, that's what I did today.

Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational- Day 7

Sorry folks- no images today. I forgot to get a pic of my quick draw from yesterday- oh well. Saturday began with grey skies and light rain - a real surprise after the perfect weather we had all week. I set up on the south end of Heisler Park and was soon joined by Ken Auster, with William Scott Jennings set up just a few steps behind us. I knew Ken would draw a crowd so I told him he could be my "blocker" for the event. Its a two hour event but we both managed to finish in an hour and a half, which was good because that's when the rain started up again. A quick trip to my car to frame and then I turned my piece in at the museum. There was a brief preview period then the auction started. Happily my piece sold quickly - off to a good start!

The Gala dinner and Preview sale started at 6 last night. Joe Paquet won both Artist and Collectors Choice! Michael Obermeyer and Glenna Hartmann both won awards sponsored by two art publications. Sales seemed slower than in past years and there was a fair amount of artist anxiety in the room. However, traffic and sales picked up considerably at the public sale today. I was very happy with my sales and only had two small pieces left at the end of the day.

The long drive home starts tomorrow morning at 5 AM so it may be a few days before I post again!

Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational - Day 5

Sunset from The Top of the World 18 x 18 Oil
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The Top of the World is up above Laguna Beach- a public park overlooking the canyon and the town, and of course the Pacific. Its a great place to catch the sunset. This is another not so great pic unfortunately- just can't seem to get rid of that glare! Its a moody tonal piece-I think I got what I was going for here. Our three paintings from the week have to be turned in at the Museum tomorrow morning. After that, I'll head down to the area where the Quick Draw will be held Saturdaymorning. It is usually held in Heisler Park, but this year the Park is under renovation so the Quick Draw has been moved to the Main Beach area. I've never painted there so I'll spend some time scouting it out tomorrow. Then the Artists Party tomorrow night- a little time from R&R!

Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational- Day 4

Newport Back Bay 12 x 24 Oil
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Here is another piece- this one from the Back Bay area in Newport. I couldn't get a very good pic of this one either- too much glare. Two more days to go before work must be turned in at the Museum Friday morning Tonight is a backyard buffet for the artists at the home of Jay and Mary Linda Strotkamp, who are long time supporters of LPAPA, the Museum and this event.
Crunch time!

Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational- Day 3

Laguna Canyon Morning 14 x 15 Oil
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Well, the painting has started in earnest! After dropping my two pieces off at the Museum yesterday I headed out to Laguna Canyon. Sorry about the poor quality of this image. I scumbled some cool color over the top of the hills and I just can't seem to get a good photo of it. I also started a nocturne of a house on a cliff at Woods Cove which I hope to finish tonight. I scouted a couple of locations I had not been to before like Crescent Beach- the small public park there has nice views to both the north and south. I hope to get up to the Newport Back Bay area today. Back to the easel...

Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational -Day 2

Midday at the Montage 8 x 10 Oil
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Yesterday was the beginning of the Laguna event activities. A welcome brunch and orientation was held at the beautiful Montage Resort followed by a paint out at the public park and beach adjoining the resort. The crowds watching the artists were steady all afternoon. This is a pretty bad image of the painting I did- keeping it small to warm up. This formation of rocks is called the Wedding Ring Arch and is a popular motif with artists although its the first time I have painted it. I have to say, setting up my easel next to people like Ken Auster and Ray Roberts is still a bit daunting. This morning this painting and the "Masterpiece" piece we were asked to bring from home ( see previous post for that image) have to be turned in at the Laguna Art Museum. Those two pieces will hang through out the week in the Museum and be for sale next weekend along with the other work done during the week. So, I'm off to the Museum and then to paint.

Afternoon Surf Laguna

Oil 12 x 16 Private Collection

Well, tomorrow I am off to California for the Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational. I am driving- I like road trips- I'm like a kid in a candy store watching the landscape change as I drive west. The event starts Sunday the 7th with a paint out then ends the following weekend with the Quick Draw and auction and then the Exhibition & Sale Saturday and Sunday October 13-14 at the Laguna Art Museum. There is more about the event here. I hope to post through out the event so stay tuned!