‘A Broader Approach to Landscape Painting Outdoors’

Hosted by Wood River Fine Arts

 Oil Landscape Painting Class

4 days outdoors, plus two evenings

Intermediate to Advanced

Class max: 15 students

This 4 day workshop will examine why observation and study direct from nature is so crucial in our development as artists. However, it will endeavor to put ‘plein air painting’ ‘back in its rightful context, i.e. that plein-air painting is NOT necessarily about producing a ‘finished’ product onsite every time, but, more than anything else, is about ‘learning to see’, gathering ideas, and being a dedicated student of nature.

We will be ‘deconstructing’ the landscape into manageable components using various themed exercises: notan studies; manipulating multiple values into 3, 4 or 5 distinct value ‘groups’; reducing the landscape into 4-5 big abstract shapes and NOT ‘naming’ objects; analyzing the landscape in terms of gathering accurate color notes only; ‘motif’ brainstorming; design variations.

NB: these exercises will as relevant to studio work as to plein air work.

There will be a demos as well as group critiques and discussions.

Your tuition fee also includes two evening events:

1)   Reception at Wood River Fine Arts Gallery

2)   Dinner and slide show – your fee includes the cost of your dinner.

Enrollment

We are expecting this class to be oversubscribed; so we will select students, based on ability and common objectives/goals, to form a coherent group to maximize the learning experience for all.  It will be best suited to those who have both ‘plein air’ and studio oil painting experience. It is aimed at intermediate through to the professional level student – i.e. those who regularly paint and wish to take their work (both plein air and studio) to the next level.