DIANE PIKE, Abstracting the Landscape Inside Out

Abstracting the Landscape Inside Out
Instructor: Diane Pike
Level: All with experience
Medium: Oil (acrylic, pastel, watercolor welcome)
Demo: Monday, Jan 23, 3-5pm (included in workshop tuition)

There are many ways to paint the landscapes that Mother Nature gives us—from painting the pristine, or “pure nature,” to looking past the obvious and searching for the abstracted shapes of color that light and shadow bring to this painting dance. This workshop is about learning how to let go of your expectations, prejudices and preferences in regard to the landscape and learning to see with a beginner’s mind. We won’t be painting what we know—we will be painting what we “see.” Seeing is the art of forgetting the name of what you are looking at—and looking beyond the obvious with an open mind and fresh eyes. There are many tools in the artist’s toolbox. I will be discussing the strength of making sketches, finding a strong composition, understanding the importance of shape, different kinds of brushes and brushwork. I will demo each day in the morning for a short time, in oils and also in pastel. Everyone will sketch and paint every day. Use these tools to discover your own voice, your own self-expression. Let go of the predictable and paint!!

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