I’m in Rehoboth Delaware this weekend enjoying the Eastern Shore. I got to give a workshop in abstract painting (stealing a lot of ideas from Gwen Fox) to my vacation companions, Pat Semmes and our host Victoria Jennings. We’ve spend the day painting and critiquing. Here are some of our results. It’s always interesting to see how different the paintings are even with the same techniques and materials.
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What a treat to visit Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard!
I taught a small class on Journal making, and everyone was an art teacher or an artist of some sort. We had such a good time. One of highlights of the day was lunch – the new chef outdid himself. Dessert included ice cream made with olive oil from Sandy’s orchard. It had a fresh green peppery taste – delicious! The second highlinght was being invited back to teach another workshop soon.
Take a look at the talented participants and their journals:
Yesterday I created three small “painterly” collages on canvas and took them to Nueva Street Gallery for their feedback. Ugur, one of the gallery owners, liked them, but I was in such a hurry to get them down there, I forgot to take photos. Arg. Each one had acrylic paint elements inspired by Gwen Fox’s workshop. Here’s a video of our week with Gwen. Everyone in the group is keeping in touch – the whole experience was challenging, bonding, humbling, rewarding and encouraging.
Today in the painting workshop, Gwen showed us how to rescue a dog – a dog of a painting, that is. Then we had a timed painting exercise, and I produced my own dog of a painting. Fellow painters suggested that it looked like a bird coming out of an outhouse door with a gun in his hand, firing at an unseen target. So what do YOU see? I’m keeping this one to remind me that everybody has a bad day, particularly when (as I did) you try to copy someone else’s style
Here are the ones I started this afternoon. I like them much better – I tried some new techniques but especially liked using the transparent acrylic inks. There are designed to be companion pieces.
Here is the same painting at the end of the day today – it’s different!
Day Two of Gwen Fox’s workshop and I am on a steep learning curve and loving it. This morning Gwen demonstrated color mixing with three basic colors only – then we painted. My first attempt at abstract layout (far from finished) is below.
I have no idea what I am doing but it’s fun not to know – at the moment, I like Gwen’s color chart better than my painting, but we shall see.
Two lovely chapels are along the walk to the Plaza. The Chapel of San Miguel is the oldest church in Santa Fe. The Loretto Chapel, a few blocks away, is the home of the Miraculous Staircase. Here are some photos I took yesterday afternoon.
The International Folk Art Market last night and the Farmers Market this morning were great – the folk art was almost too much to take in. With over 150 artists from all over the world and more than 20,000 visitors, the cultural scope and diversity are breathtaking. The people were almost as much fun to watch as the artist at the preview party last night. Even though the tickets were a pricey $125 each, more than 2000 people circulated through massive tents looking at the wares on the tables and walls. And the Framers Market, tiny by comparison, still delighted with the variety and color of local produce and crafts.
Staying here is like living in a Santa Fe dream – imagine a cluster of beautiful old adobe buildings around a courtyard with flowers blooming, fountains bubbling and pinon in the air. I could probably take a picture of something memorable every few feet while walking around the grounds. And the rooms are furnished and finished with tapestries and Oriental rugs. My suite is called Birdsong, and the second photo is the living room. Dang. It’s amazing. Here are a few of the morning’s photos.
This morning I’m off the Santa Fe and then Taos. My son and grandson are going with me to Santa Fe to see the Folk Art Market and the galleries, then on to Taos with Carol Mylar, my dear friend in art. We’ll be painting with Gwen Fox at her Abstracts That Glow workshop. More from the road!
