Summer Afternoon San Juan Island

Watching the tide at Cattle Pass through a stand of young alder trees.
Plein air, Lopez Island in the background and the incoming strong tide at Cattle Pass, San Juan Island.

Final Workshop of the Summer

September 9,10,and 11 will be the dates of our final workshop on San Juan Island. The focus of this weekend workshop will be abstracting the landscape. We will use views of San Juan Island to develop sketches and work to simplify forms. We will look at several artist, how they approach abstracting the landscape and discuss possibilities. We will review ideas how to create space and think about ways to break up those conventions.
In order to free up, we will look at creating an interesting surface by adding collage to our surfaces. We will also sketch in sumi ink, simplifying form.
Call 360 378 2638 for questions or sign up. Cost for the weekend, $225.

August's Painting Workshop, Fantastic Color!

The main aspect if this workshop was understanding color. Friday night we talked about the color wheel, we all made one using oil paints. We looked at work by Henri Matisse and saw how he used the color wheel beautifully in his paintings. We spent our morning just looking at color in the landscape. Our painting site was a riot of color at the gardens of Island Gardens on Guard Street.
Everyone made wonderful color comparisons and observations, matching color of the natural palette. By the afternoon everyone had found a painting spot that they liked and started in, for many it was their first painting experience.
Sunday we headed over to Jensen's Shipyard and started by looking at the new environment. Everyone felt more relaxed with the painting process. Congratulations to both of our mother daughter artist-teams, and to the newly converted oil painters.

Summer Morning on San Juan Island

Looking across Beaverton Valley on San Juan Island, plein air.