General Membership Meeting
and
MARCH OF THE MENTORS
General Membership Meeting…
Untamed by Janet Johnson
“On the Bright Side” with Janet Johnson
During our general meeting Janet will demonstrate a fun and exciting technique using brightly colored paper with pumice gel and pastels; the details of which will be a surprise! Janet will also be a mentor in our afternoon program (see below).
We hope you will join us! Come early at 9:30 a.m. for refreshments and socializing.
If you live out of the area, we will also be connecting our members via Zoom.
March of the Mentors…
Following our general meeting, we will offer our annual March of the Mentors event where members can sign up for a three-hour session with an artist of their choosing. Maximum enrollment for each mentor will be six students. Don’t miss out on this fun and lively event!
Cost: $40 per person
Registration will open closer to the event.
The Mentors
Composition - Beyond the Basics
Review basic composition frameworks and then learn how to level up your paintings using color, contrast, detail and values. Learn how these elements allow us to lead the viewer’s eye to increase engagement for stronger paintings that tell a story.
We will look at provided photo references and design, and complete several painting plans (notans) for future paintings.
In addition, bring unfinished work or paintings that you might want to evaluate for reworking or repainting. Together we will review the works to learn how they could be improved using these composition elements. There will be time to work on unfinished paintings or to start one from a plan created in the workshop. Supply List
On the Bright Side
Learn a fun and exciting technique to bring bright colors and textures to your paintings. I have used this technique recently to great success. As a follow-up to the morning demo, students will have a chance to try this exciting technique first hand!
I will provide the paper, pumice, and reference photos. You may bring your own reference photo if you wish.
A strong painting is always dependent on a strong underpainting. I have played around with watercolors, pastels with alcohol, but I have settled on the use of black ink. After applying my pastels over the painting and taking a sponge to smooth out the pastels and covering up the surface of the sanded paper, I then apply the black ink over all the dark value locations with a flat brush on the underpainting. After this is completed, the painting is almost complete except for the highlights and finishing details. I will show you how it’s done in a step by step process that will create your fabulous final painting. Join me the for the guaranteed fun and excitement! Supply List
Reflections on Water
We will explore three different ways of conveying water and reflections within the landscape utilizing a dry underpainting, an alcohol underpainting and a watercolor underpainting. We will work small initially (4x6, 5x7 or 6x8 studies) and then we will explore what we learned on one larger painting (8x10, 9x12 or 11x14). I will supply the reference photo for the three small studies. (However, you are welcome to bring your own reference photos.) Please bring a reference photo for your larger painting. Anything with bodies of water (i.e., lakes, rivers, streams) and reflections. Supply List
Studio and Plein Air Techniques and Demos
I will demonstrate the following:
Protection - How to cut and attach glassine to cover a painting
Paper handling - How to cut and spray mount pastel paper to a surface of your choice. How to attach mounted paper to backing board.
Framing - How to use spacers and how to float-mount
Image transfer - How to do a line drawing in Photoshop for a transfer to pastel paper
Pencil sharpening techniques
Plein air painting set-up
All you need to bring is yourself!
The 5 Essential Construction Components For Your Masterpiece
Painting is a constructive process and paving the road to a successful painting requires the right tools: 1) composition, 2) value structure, 3) color relationships, 4) edge contrasts, and 5) details. I will go over these components in detail as I demonstrate how I like to construct my painting in a sculptural manner. Bring your pastels and follow along in a stress free environment that encourages you to experiment, have fun, and learn from a process that has proven essential in my art journey. Supply List