A Thank You for 2014

Teaching an impromptu lesson at a student's easel, in Goshen, New Jersey (on Cape May). This barn is the studio of Stan Sperlak at his Crow Creek Farm art school.

2014.

Thanks to all of my hosts, venue organizers, and especially all of the artists I met this year at workshops and demo events in Everett, WA, New Braunfels, TX, Ann Arbor, MI, Ponte Verde Beach, FL, Spokane, WA, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, Kemijärvi, Finland, Florham Park, NJ and Goshen/Cape May Courthouse, NJ.

In the next two years I look forward to scheduled and proposed workshops in France, Germany, Italy, Dakota Pastels in Washington; also the DC area in Virginia, New York City, Boston, Denver, southern California, South Carolina, Maine and I may be forgetting some.

Workshops Update

Click on the image if it appears too large on your screen.

Florence Workshop with Vianna Szabo

Taught by Vianna Szabo.

Italy in 2015!

We have enough interested artists on the list to secure a date, but there is still much room.

Contact me to get on the list for further information.

Want To Go To Italy With Me?

Upper Church

4" x 6"

Pastel & Conte Pencil

Casey Klahn

In 2015 I will be going to Italy to teach a 14-day workshop at La Romita.  I first heard about this wonderful art workshop center from a local artist and friend. La Romita was established in 1548 as a monastery. Workshops are housed and catered on site, and logistics for painting forays are supported by the staff.

Here is a blurb from their website:

La Romita School of Art first opened in 1966, under the guidance of Enza Quargnali, as the summer art program of Rockford College in Illinois. For over 50 years people have stayed at La Romita, painting the landscape, people, and towns in the beautiful Umbrian hill country, whose radiant golden light has charmed artists since the days of Perugino and his famous pupil, Rafael.

La Romita.

I am gathering interest for October or July, 2015. Contact me.

2014 Plans

Exuberant In Boston!

Expressive art and exuberance may go together.  Here I am trying to light a fire under my attentive audience.

The reception given me by the artists, attendees, and the North River Arts Society was a memorable one.  You have my thanks.

See Differently workshop, Marshfield Hills, MA.

Ocean Shores 1 Day

There were 9 artists in attendance.  I taught technique, and had an interesting closing question from Roy.  He wanted me to state 5 key tips for the beginner pastellist.  Here is what I said:

1. Peel the paper off most of your sticks, and put them all in a tray.  In other words, get them out of the foam box and into a studio palette system.

2. Find a paper you like and stay with it a while. 

3. Use artist's grade tools.

4. Find out what your ideas are and develop those in your work.  The truth is available for an artist of any skill level to tell.

5. Line up several of your artworks and write down 25 observations about them.  This will help you understand what it is you have been doing, what your ideas are, and what makes your work unique.

I couldn't help going to process solutions because I like to focus on what makes fine art fine.  

But, I want to have a technique-focused answer that's less esoteric.  With more thought, I might replace 4 and 5 with the following:

4. Learn how to handle your values and to blend colors.  We spent a good deal of out time on this in the 1 day workshop.

5. Work from good drawings that you have done.  

On Color!

Photos from this past weekend in Denver.

Next Stop: Portland!

Durango was a great time!

Next workshop:

Portland, Oregon.  June 15, 16.

Portland, Oregon!

2 Day Workshop/$240. See Differently is not a technique workshop. It is a break through event, where we look at your ideas. I demonstrate in pastels, however oil and acrylic painters have enjoyed this workshop.

Calendar

Denver at The Madden! Ken Elliot and Casey Klahn Will Teach On Color!

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July 20 and 21, at The Madden Museum in Denver Metro.  All media welcome.  Contact either Ken or myself.

Gig Harbor!

Durango

Denver

Portland

Boston

Gig Harbor

Costa Mesa

Umbria

See info here for all workshops.

Durango, Colorado!

Durango

Denver

Portland

Boston

Gig Harbor

Costa Mesa

Umbria

See info here for all workshops.

Denver Workshop Photo Report

Artists Karen Scharer and Ken Elliott at our dinner party.  Not pictured: Scott Leckrone.

The Colorist.

More Workshop News

Denver-May 19th. & 20th.
Maui - August.  


Details TBA.

Workshops Page

News.

Artistic Authenticity

The elusive state of artistic authenticity is what I want to discuss.  Here is an excerpt from the article I am writing about Authenticity In Your Art:




"Ignore Everybody,"
 Hugh MacLeod.




Technical skill is not critical to being authentic, although it may help to more easily say what you mean with your artwork. More importantly, I value being comfortable with line, composition and color. The formal elements of all artworks can be a huge distraction when a painter doesn't use them with intention and ease.


One obsolete meaning for the word, "authentic," is "authoritative." This is where my focus lies. Having the merit of authority – unimpeachable work. I once lunched with Donald J. Wiseman, the man who excavated ancient Babylon. Here before me was a living textbook footnote, for he was certainly the authority in his field.

Wiseman.

Hugh MacLeod.

More to come.

Painting an Idea...