VIRTUAL WORKSHOP
Figurative Collage: color, gesture & narrative

In this skill-based, introduction to oil painting workshop, participants focus on the fundamentals of painting through the subject matter of still life and portraiture. Emphasis is on composition, concepts of modeling light as it falls on form, and color theory. Workshop participants are guided through the process of traditional techniques of indirect painting as well as contemporary painting methods. Strategies for achieving life-like effects, chiaroscuro, and Tromp L’oeil techniques are also introduced. We engage in daily demonstrations of oil painting methods and individual and group discussions to support our exploratory studio time.

In this workshop, students engage in one of the most interesting and challenging pursuits in representational painting: working with the figure. From color mixing exercises to studies of proportion and composition, we learn to represent the figure quickly and convincingly with oil paint. Further emphasis on paint handling and brush work helps hone basic oil painting techniques. In addition to painting from a model, students are guided to create engaging and expressive self-portraits. Even with no past experience, students come away from this workshop with a heightened understanding and skill of this popular but often challenging genre.

In this workshop, students have the opportunity to develop unique paintings from handmade watercolor paints while exploring the vibrant, seasonal plant life of Snowmass Village. Through foraging and working with cultivated dye plants, students learn to extract, process, and bind botanical pigments into rich, archival-quality paints. The class includes daily painting sessions focused on plant illustration, color swatching, and cataloging. Participants leave with their own custom watercolor set, a collection of painted studies, and a printed booklet of recipes and techniques to support the continued exploration of place-based, sustainable artmaking.