Summer 2013 Plein Air Workshop Calendar

Join me and other like-minded artists for a series of plein air workshops this summer throughout Oregon and Washington. Each workshop will focus on color theory, developing a plein air color palette, and composition - while working directly from the region’s diverse landscape. Each workshop will include painting demonstrations, short and long painting sessions, and both individual and group critiques. If you’ve never painted plein air before or if you need an excuse to dust off your easel, this series of workshops will propel your painting skills to the next level.


Sunday, June 30th - near Portland, OR.  Cooper Mountain Nature Park
This sweeping, atmospheric vista in rural Washington County an easy location to find and a comfortable location for Plein Air painting. The perfect venue for a lesson in aerial perspective! Cooper Mountain Info


Friday, July 19th - Whidbey Island, WA. 
This half-day workshop, entitled The Vitality of Plein Air, focuses on the spirit of plein air painting in capturing the essence of your surroundings with expressive brushwork and thoughtful design. This workshop is preceded by a FREE Gamblin lecture demonstration.  Whidbey Island Fine Arts, Gellatly Workshop


Saturday, July 20 - Sunday, July 21 - Mt. Vernon, WA
This workshop will investigate the three main components of COLOR (Value, Hue, and Chroma) through plein air painting in the beautiful Skagit Valley. We will work with each component of color individually through small plein air studies, and then tie them all together during longer painting sessions. This workshop is preceded by a FREE Gamblin lecture demonstration. Dakota Art Center, Gellatly Workshop 


Sunday, July 28th - near Portland, OR.  Blue Heron Herbary, Sauvie Island
Blue Heron Herbary is located on Sauvie Island on the banks of the Columbia River. The garden is in a natural setting bordered by a wildlife refuge where waterfowl, eagles, cranes and of course, blue herons abound. This is a terrific site for both intimate and expansive painting subjects.  www.blueheronherbary.com

Sunday, August 4th - near Portland, OR. Willow Residence, Sauvie Island 
Right on the beach of the Columbia River, this location offers a number of expansive views along the river and into the farmlands of Washington State.


Saturday, August 17th - Sunday, August 18th - Bainbridge Island, WA
Let a quick ferry ride from Seattle transport you to beautiful Bainbridge Island, and join a thriving artistic community for this two-day plein air workshop.  http://www.winslowartcenter.com/

Please contact me with any questions and for registration and pricing information.

 

Plein Air Convention 2013

The Plein Air Convention, now in its second year, did not disappoint.  With overall attendance up over a hundredfold from last year, the level of enthusiasm and sense of camaraderie among the painters in attendance was overwhelming.  

This event is a highlight for me throughout the year. I welcome the opportunity to wear two hats at an event like this – my work for Gamblin allows me to support a community in which I feel so aligned as an artist.

I was thrilled to use this opportunity to talk about a new product that I’ve been developing for well over a year (more on this in an upcoming blog).  To have this new product at the event at all was a “stretch goal” only a couple months ago. The response to the concept, and its working properties was so overwhelmingly positive – so cool to be able to finally share it with the world. 

As a painter, it was amazing to view first-hand the facility displayed by such renowned artists.  Talking shop and painting alongside other plein air artists whose work I admire was such a thrill. I also enjoyed discussing contemporary approaches to plein air painting with other painters – as this is something I strive for in my own work. 

Below are images of my giving a demonstration on Gamblin painting mediums, the first “paint out” along the coastline at Asilomar, as well as an image of my painting from the Monterey marina.

Looking forward to future events with the plein air community!  

Sunlit Marina, oil on panel, 12" x 12", 2013

Announcing a 2-day COLOR, LIGHT & FORM workshop at the Winslow Art Center on Bainbridge Island, WA.  
January 19 - 20th, 2013

Make Color Work For You in Still Life

This workshop will explore how light influences color and form while focusing on the three main components of COLOR (Value, Hue, and Chroma) in Still Life Painting.  We will work with each component of color individually through small studies, and then tie them all together during longer painting sessions.  The goal of the workshop is to sharpen your color-mixing skills as a painter, while developing a personalized color palette that supports your own, unique artistic vision. 

The workshop will start with a lecture demonstration on Color Space, pigment history, and color palettes.  There will be color-mixing and painting demonstrations throughout the workshop.  Most of the workshop, however, will be painting time to put these concepts into practice.

For additional information, please visit: www.winslowartcenter.com 

See you there! 

SG

Upcoming Still Life Painting Workshop at Oregon Society of Artists 

I'm pleased to announce my upcoming workshop, Exploring Color Palettes - Make Color work for you in Still Life, at the Oregon Society of Artists in Portland. This one-day, hands-on workshop will be held on Saturday, January 5th from 9am - 4pm.

This workshop will explore various color palettes, while focusing on the three main components of COLOR (Value, Hue, and Chroma) in Still Life Painting. We will work with each component of color individually through small studies, and then tie them all together during longer painting sessions. The goal of the workshop is to encourage you as a painter to develop a personalized color palette that supports your own, unique artistic vision.

The workshop will start with a lecture demonstration on Color Space, pigment history, and color palettes. There will be color-mixing and painting demonstrations throughout the workshop. Most of the workshop, however, will be painting time to put these concepts into practice.

To enroll in this workshop, please contact the Oregon Society of Artists.

Rural-Urban Exhibition Opens at Brian Marki Fine Art

Photo by Dave Burbach

Thanks to everyone who came out to the opening reception of ruralurban, my latest exhibition of oil paintings at Brian Marki Fine Art.  I greatly appreciate all of the support and kind comments about my work.

The twenty plus paintings in the show were created throughout 2012 and were delivered to the gallery in stages.  I feel like I'm seeing the work for the first time myself when I finally get to view the work installed in the gallery...so nice to simply drop off the work and leave the rest to the pro's!

Brian Marki and I have been working together long enough (about 12 years, to be exact) that we are aligned on the presentation aesthetics for my work.  The paintings are framed in a simple, contemporary molding that  in no way competes with the painted image.  In addition, I've always appreciated the manner in which Brian hangs the work in the gallery - letting each painting have plenty of breathing room to let the viewer see each piece individually.

Below are a couple shots of the exhibition...

Show runs through December 29th.

Hope you can make it!

Cheers,
SG

Atmosphere, Construction and Field Testing

This fall has put on quite the display of light and atmosphere along the Willamette River.  Viewed from the factory parking lot, the manner in which the afternoon light catches the moisture against the hills has served as a constant, nagging muse. Airborne particulates from distant wildfires exaggerates the quality of light and atmosphere.

Only to add to the visual interest is the construction of the new light rail/pedestrian bridge. Sweeping cranes breaking the composition and orange construction material against the blue hills are way too interesting not to paint!

Fortunately, I've been able to take advantage of this on a couple occasions - which also allowed me to kick the tires of some potential new materials.

Here are a couple paintings painted on site in the parking lot:

Pill Hill in Haze, oil on panel, 6" x 6" 

Bridge Building, oil on panel, 8" x 8"

These paintings will be included in my upcoming exhibition, ruralurban, opening this week at Brian Marki Fine Art. 

SG

Upcoming Exhibition at Brian Marki Fine Art

I'm putting the finishing touches on my upcoming exhibition, entitled rural-urban, at Brian Marki Fine Art in Portland, OR.

The show runs November 14 - December 29, with an opening reception on Saturday, November 17th, from 5 -8pm.

The paintings in this show combine both rural and urban scenes, making it a bit of a departure from previous shows.  I got the urban painting "bug" this past summer while participating in the Portland Art Museum's Plein Air Invitational.

More about the urban paintings in an upcoming blog.

See you at the show!

SG