Open Figure/Portrait Sessions 2011

Trying to find the right schedule for my Open Figure/Portrait Sessions has been difficult. I started by hosting a 3 hour session every Saturday with a long pose so that artists work alla prima. I changed it to 4, then 5 hours, twice a month (instead of weekly). Attendance fluctuated greatly, which was very frustrating.

For 2011, I am going back to my original idea...a 3 hour long pose session once a week. The difference will be the day. Instead of Saturday, I am switching this to Wednesdays from noon to 3pm. Again, this is not a class, so artists of all abilities are welcome to come and draw or paint from the model. The drop-in fee will be $10. However, for $50. , paid in advance, the artists can come for 6 session, which will give them one free session. I think that this will be a great idea, and I am hoping that the new day will help.

In addition to the Long Pose Session, I am adding a Short Pose Session, which is more suitable for drawing. The Short Pose Session will be on Thursday evenings from 6pm-8:30pm. The model will take a variety of changing poses, from 1 minute gestures to 20 minute studies. The drop-in fee will be $8., but artists paying $40. in advance can come for 6 sessions, which again gives them one free session.

If there is enough interest, I will add an evening Long Pose Session. Let me know what you think of these changes.

Workshops 2011

I just updated the information on my Workshops in 2011. You can read descriptions on my website: www.WinslowArtStudio.com on the Workshops page. All of my workshops are intensives that run the full day, and all of the work will be from life where the artists will be analyzing light, form and depth. The principles I teach can be used in any medium, and students can use oils, watermedia or pastels. My workshops are intended to help the artist learn to translate what they see into a believable light effect, so they are more about learning to "see". The classes are not meant to give you a "finished" painting or project, but the help you learn artistic principles that you can put into practice, applying them to your own work long after the workshop ends.

8"x16" Paintings

Normally, my husband Jack makes all of our panels, but because I tend to paint very fast, I wind up using up the lion's share of his effort. So, I decided to supplement my supply and try out some commercial panels. All of these paintings were done on Ray Mar panels, which are double oil primed and 8"x16". The panels come in packs of 10, and this is a great size for little landscapes as well as still life paintings. As usual, all of these paintings are from life. So far, I have painted in the horizontal format, but I am thinking of trying a few vertical paintings soon.

More Paintings from the Sylvan Gallery Holiday Show

Here are a few of the plein air paintings on exhibit at Sylvan Gallery in Clinton, CT. I thought you might enjoy seeing my plein air set-up with me painting one of the pictures. It was painted at the Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes, VT. The top picture is a plein air painting that was done in Clinton, CT, and it is one of my largest plein air pieces. I normally paint fairly small when I paint outdoors.

Sylvan Gallery Holiday Show 2010

Every year Sylvan Gallery in Clinton, CT ( where I exhibit) has a Holiday Show. Most of the paintings are small, and I put in a number of pieces this year. I try to do a couple of "Holiday Theme" paintings (which are really fun to do). In addition to the small still life paintings and themed paintings, I exhibit several of my plein air paintings, and I will add those photos next. If you are in the area, please stop in.

Open Session 11/13/10

Today's was a beautiful, sunny day in Vermont with temperatures in the 50s, which is rare for this time of year. So, some of the regular painters decided to enjoy the outdoors, and only a few of us painted the model. Lori posed for 4.5 hours. I thought you might enjoy my painting sequence. I am painting on one of the panels Jack made for me for my birthday. He makes his own gesso, and this gesso was made with Sarti Chalk, which is a pale yellow (very beautiful). It has an interesting and somewhat absorbent surface.

As usual, I start out very loosely and work from the general shapes to the more specific details. I use mostly large/medium round and filbert bristle brushes, but as I tighten up my drawing (getting more specific), I will use smaller, softer sables or mixed synthetic brushes. The final result for the day is a 12"x16" study.