Looking Ahead

Summer is JUST around the corner- or should I say - just around the next snow storm. We have had a couple of "nice" days here in the high country but I KNOW there is at least one snow still out there because my irises are just beginning to bloom.  Sigh. . . . .
Painting students are getting restless for the great outdoors and all my classes will go OUTside at the end of June - Yay!
Join us on Tuesday Evening, June 21st,  and- or
Thursday Morning 
June 23rd at the Alamosa Family Rec Center. Call 719-589-2107 to register for 8 weeks of plein air painting.

In the meantime- I am looking ahead to my summer - starting with Taste of Creede -Memorial Day Weekend, May 28 & 29.
Artists gather from all around the country to join world renown painter - Stephen Quiller in historic Creede, CO. Sunday's main event is the Artist's Quick Draw at 1pm - with a live auction immediately following.  Last year my buyer came all the way from Westminster, CO to be at this party.

2016 Santa Fe Plein Air Festival is next in June, and Susan McCullough and I will paint for a week in New Mexico with plein air painters from all over.  This is a juried event - so the show should be awesome and will open Thursday, June 9th at 5pm
InArt Gallery, 219 Delgado St in Santa Fe, NM.

Sun UP to Sun DOWN- Plein air Painting in Taos, NM - 
All day painting on July 29 and All day Show on July 30th at Wilder Nightingale Fine Art.
This special event will feature Myself, Susan McCullough, and Peggy Immel,  all painting from dawn to dusk, on Kit Carson Road in front of Wilder Nightingale Fine Art in Taos, NM. Come on Friday to watch, come back for the show on Saturday. All work will be for sale.

Summer Workshops
I will be teaching 2 one-Day Workshops this summer:
Wednesday, August 17th at the Art Center in Estes Park, CO.  
Call 970-586-5882
and  
Friday, August 19th at Fare Bella Gallery in Manitou Springs, CO  
Call 720-226- 4315

Classes and workshops are a good way to inspire your painting and make the most of the summer season.  Get OUT there!  -  and I hope to see you at one of these events.

Class Notes: Manitou Workshop

My weekend in Manitou included a one day workshop in the lovely space at the Fare Bella gallery,  run by Patti Filler and right next to the TracyMiller gallery.
Because this was not an outdoor (plein air) workshop we worked from photos brought by the artists.
My focus, as always, is on design, and in this case how to bring out the strengths of your reference material.





This black and white photo was the reference for the demo.  My sketch below shows how I ALWAYS start by simply dividing the space into thirds and moving shapes to strengthen the composition.
As a class we all took part in deciding how to break up the space:
#1 We chose to move the horizon to the upper third line.
#2  We connected the major elements:  the large tree and the barn, moving them to the third line on the right- thus creating a strong focal point.
#3  We placed a balancing group of trees to the left side.
#4  Even the division of the foreground follows the grid.
Below the sketch is my quick 9x12 demo.



Compare the demo sketch and the demo to the plein air piece below, done at the same location as the reference material. 
In both cases I make use of the Rule of Thirds by dividing my sketch area into thirds both vertically and horizontally.
This is a classic compositional idea that deals with both the composition and placement of the focal point - meaning,
it helps you organize the space and position subject matter to be visually balanced.

You can see how I clearly made very different, and important choices about - the horizon line, the major elements and the secondary shapes.
Both compositions are strong because they are governed  and held together by the Rule of Thirds.
Read more about the Rule of Thirds by going to LABELS on the right side of this blog, scroll down and click on Class Notes: Rule of Thirds.

. . . and this is a good place to
 plug the benefits of doing a sketch, no matter how simple.