From the Shady Side

I wanted to take Michael Workman's workshop to learn structure
and get a better understanding of basics. Workman's message wasn't
one I really wanted to hear: limit everything: palette and subject. But,
of course, it was exactly the message I needed to get. I've been all
over the place trying to figure out who I am as a painter so it's a way
to make painting be real and valuable work. Instead of getting up in
the morning and wondering what I'll paint today, it's a way to focus
and build on what I did yesterday. I still want to push for more
abstraction but there was enough here to like so it felt like a good
place to stop.

Tree Slide

This is a portion of a Michael Workman photo that he provided
photocopies of for an exercise called Paint Along with Mike. His photo
was gorgeous, complex and quite a bit cooler than the photocopies. My
attempt at the complete photo is still in progress but while it dries so I
can torture it more—scrape, sand and paint over it, I took a corner of it
and did a 6 x 8. Kinda wish I'd disobeyed and not painted along but
watched him instead. :-) I'm a weenie.

Quiet Montana Day

I really enjoyed Michael Workman's workshop and was hoping
to become a temporary clone. Ha! Easier said than done! He had
demonstrated adhering canvas or paper to a panel for texture and
irregular edges and I had some unprimed canvas so I prepared a
few canvas panels when I got home. Thought that troweling on 3
coats of gesso would obliterate the canvas texture but no. Preparing
panels had always seemed like busy-work and time taken away
from painting but after 5 days with Workman, it feels an important
part of the process to have your hand and attention focused on creating
the surface right from the start.

The Fredericksburg Artist School has a great roster of artists lined
up for the rest of the year. I recommend it!
http://www.fbgartschool.com/2014_classes.htm