Teaching Figure Painting with Zorn

 

 "Kendra"

14 x 18 inches, oil on canvas

Workshop Demonstration

Price on Request

I taught "Beginning Figure Painting" on my home turf this past weekend, at Whiteaker Printmakers in Eugene. It was an enthusiastic, talented group, and I thoroughly enjoyed painting with them!  

Can you spot me in this picture?

 

We started out with gesture drawings, mixed flesh tones using the Zorn palette, and they painted these lovely pieces - all in two days!

 Here's my color chart, and two little demos - same pose, different lighting, four values.

If you're interested in trying this limited palette technique, I've got two portrait workshops coming up - one this weekend, November 11-12 at Sequioa Gallery + Studios in the Portland, OR area (spaces are still available), and the other in Eugene, at Oregon Art Supply, January 6-7. 

Live models, and lots of painting! Click the links for details.

"Tangerines on Turquoise"....and Tons of Teaching!

 

 "Tangerines on Turquoise"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

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July was a whirlwind month, busy and full. This painting was a demo I did for students in Portland, over a two-day period. Here's my palette - heavy on the red-oranges. I really wanted to emphasize the red glow that reflects back and forth when oranges cuddle up together, and those saturated contrasting colors on the oranges and the plate.

 

...And this, believe it or not, is some of the student work from that class! What a talented bunch - not beginners. They did great. 

Painting Together, Painting Alone

 "Blueberry Tart"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas
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I love a new project - and I have one this week! I've been attending open studio sessions to draw and paint the figure for years, and lately have found myself wondering - could that model (no pun intended) work with still life? Get a group of like-minded artists together to paint, chat, and share a still life set-up...why not?

The inaugural session of the Still Life Open Studio was this past Thursday at Whiteaker Printmakers' Annex - the same space where I recently taught a figure painting workshop. There were six of us in attendance, but I brought enough subject matter for a small army of artists. Tea and lemons....shocker!

The fruit tarts were a change for me. First time painting one - and I loved the shiny fruit! 

Underpainting to finish. I always start my still lives the same way: with a wet-toned canvas in a warm neutral orange, then a value block-in in thin paint. I recently made a video for my online mentorship students demonstrating my whole process. If you enjoy watching it, give it a thumbs up on YouTube - I'd appreciate it!

Talking to myself in an empty room....no wonder I was craving a group of painters to hang with!

A Lovely Evening for a Portrait Demonstration

"Robin"

12x16 inches, oil on canvas

I love painting in front of an audience. I just searched my blog post history and turned up about ten instances of me painting out-and-about somewhere and gushing about it. Am I a show-off, or what?

In the last few years, I've painted for audiences at a gallery, a hotel, an art society, a conservatory, an art supply store (or two), and a church - oh and another gallery. 

Last week, I visited Shreveport, Louisiana, to teach for the third time. The evening before the workshop, I gave a portrait painting demonstration. The best part was that my subject was the teacher who organizes all of my workshops there. Her students loved watching her suffer under the pressure of my unflinching gaze.

...or maybe they were just enjoying the wine and good company!

 

Regardless, it was a blast. And check out that room! We were lucky enough to be hosted for the whole weekend by The Artist's Collective, a new gallery in Shreveport. Great spot for an art gathering, perfect place for my workshop.

 

 (The aforementioned unflinching gaze, in action)

Teaching The Figure

 "Nude with a Pear"

11 x 14 inches, oil on canvas

workshop demo price: $200

Available here

My Limited Palette Figure Painting workshop happened last weekend, here in Eugene. This was kind of a trial run for me - I've taught portrait several times, but never the nude figure - and I can humbly report that it went very well!  

On Friday evening I did a demo, which was open to the public. A few students of mine from other classes and private lessons joined the workshop attendees to watch.

The next morning, we started off with 4-value paintings. Two light flesh tones, and two dark ones to model the whole form. See? It can be done! And it's a great way to start a painting by working from the general (large shapes of value) to the specific (small anatomical details).

My demo of the 4-value exercise. 9x12" oil on Arches oil paper

Here is the progression of my demo from the second day. I can hear you thinking, 'All these demos, when did the students have time to paint?' They didn't watch the whole time - I just used this piece to demonstrate certain phases of the process. 

Believe me, much painting was done by my students.... 

Incredible painting!

 

I have two more workshops just like this one still to come in 2016 - one in September in Malibu, CA, and one in December in Eugene. Join me!

Figuring It Out

 "Humble Prayer"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

I've been doing a lot of figures lately. I actually spent most of May working on a portrait commission, which I hope to share with you soon. Two figures in that one! I'm also teaching a figure painting workshop this weekend (a couple of spots still available - info here!), and have been drawing, painting, and thinking up a storm in preparation. 

But first, this piece. Painted over two sessions with a live model. And believe it or not....this is Zorn palette! Ok, not entirely. I added Alizarin Crimson to the mix - so the full palette is Titanium white, Yellow Ocher, Ivory Black, Cadmium Red, and Alizarin Crimson. As my painting buddy Farley said, Yeah, Zorn is turning over in his grave.

Sorry, Anders.

 

Left to right: first session, second session.

Want to watch me paint a live model? You can! This Friday night from 6-8 pm, at Whiteaker Printmakers, in fact. Belle will be my model.  

Here is all the info. Hope to see you there!

Demonstrating A Still Life

 "Poppies in a Blue Vase"

9 x 12" oil on canvas

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I spent last weekend in Edmond, Oklahoma, teaching at The Conservatory for Classical Art. Although I was there for a portrait painting workshop, I started the weekend with a still life demo for a group of young students.

It was also an opportunity for the kids to pick my brain about art school - since several of them are thinking of going. I suppose I'm a good person to ask! I loved art school (I went to MICA), and will use the the things I learned there for the rest of my life.

With the urge to paint still lives - which always overtakes me the minute I set foot inside the CCA (this is my third time teaching there) - temporarily sated, I was ready to move on to the weekend's workshop!

 

Painting Eggs at the Duck Store

"Morning Eggs"

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas, framed

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I was invited to demo at the University of Oregon Duck Store (what might be called a "campus book store" at a less football-crazy institution) during their art supply trade show last week. Two full days of painting and talking about painting. It was a blast! 

I decided to keep working on my series of limited palette egg paintings. Here's my palette, all mixed up. The "parent" primaries are yellow ocher, alizarin crimson, and ultramarine blue. From those three, I mixed a color wheel, and then an "inner ring" of tints:

 

 I'll be showing this whole series of egg paintings next month at the Jacobs Gallery's Small Pleasures Invitational, in Eugene. If you've never attended this yearly show, it's truly a showcase of the area's best - at seriously affordable prices. Opening reception is Friday December 4th!

 

"Quiche To Be"
8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas
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Zorn Palette Portrait Workshop Demo

 "Maddie"

9 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

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I took my portrait workshop on the road last weekend, painting with a great group of artists at Sequoia Gallery + Studios in Hillsboro, a town outside of Portland. We spent an intense two days mixing colors, painting from live models, eating early Halloween candy, and enjoying the sounds of rain...flooding the parking lot. 

The perfect way to spend a fall weekend in the Pacific Northwest!

My next Zorn palette portrait workshop will be held in Eugene, at the fabulous Oregon Art Supply, November 21-22nd. All the info, materials list, and registration can be found here.

Limited Palette Love

 "Ocher Yolk"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

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Here's my limited palette demo from last weekend's workshop. I used Yellow Ocher, Ultramarine Blue, and Alizarin Crimson - plus white, of course. 

I admit I had some doubts about that egg yolk - trying to capture that vibrant yellow with only Yellow Ocher on my palette? Limited palettes never let me down, though. As long as there's nothing "yellower" to show it up, Ocher does just fine, as you see.

Here I am, in the underpainting stage: 

 

Still Life Painting Workshop....Day One!

 "Wedges" 

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

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I just finished up a fabulous three-day workshop here in Eugene. "Wedges" was my first morning demo, and below you see some of my students, painting up a storm!

Here are their pieces....and this was just the first day! Awesome, right?!

My next still life workshop will be November 7-8th, at Winslow Art Center, on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Spaces are still available, and all the information can be found here.

Portrait Painting in Portland

 "Adam"

11 x 14 inches, oil on canvas

Available, email to inquire

 I was invited to give a portrait painting demonstration at The Oregon Society of Artists in Portland last week. It was great - there was an audience of about 30 people, and they asked so many great questions, I think I hardly stopped talking the whole time...

....the whole 90 minutes, that is! What a challenge.

I asked my awesome friend Adam to pose for me. Because, well, he lives in Portland. Also, he's cute. The audience loved him.

Seriously, I got almost as many compliments on my choice of model as I did on the painting! Adam, I think you missed your calling.

 

Taking a Trip

 

 "Lemon Tea on Whidbey"

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

Click to buy

Last weekend, I drove up to the Seattle area for a visit with my friends at Brackenwood Gallery. Eight years in the Pacific Northwest, and this was my first time in Seattle! It was also my first time meeting the proprietors, Jason Waskey and Mary Jo Reynolds, in person, though Jason and I have been art-blogging buddies for many years.

 On Saturday afternoon I set up my easel and painted in the gorgeous, watery window light. Many friendly gallery-goers stopped to chat with me.

Here's the finished product, with my subjects. You may recognize some of them from my First Friday demo in Eugene two weeks ago!

 

It was an honor to visit - and paint at - this beautiful gallery. Pictured below: Fiorella, me, Mary Jo, and Jason. 

Another highlight of the weekend was getting to visit Jason's studio and see some of his works-in-progress. He and I will be having a two-person show at Brackenwood in October. So I guess I'm just going to HAVE to go back!

 

 Twist my arm, right? Whidbey Island is such a beautiful place! And did I mention, there are wild bunnies? On the left is the morning view from my hosts' kitchen, and on the right, offering the bunnies a snack. Heading back to the mainland on the ferry,  the views only got better: