DAY 1
On the first day, I will demonstrate and teach a maximalist approach with numerous ways to help you manipulate and apply paint onto a canvas so that you can build up layers, causing the canvas to transition from a “young” canvas to a “mature” canvas. The first part of the class will move quickly on purpose, to get you to stop over-thinking and simply try the methods out quickly. For the rest of this day, as we start to digest the methods and as we potentially discover new ones together, we will rely more on our intuition as we each make decisions, solve problems, and wrestle with the resounding “what next?” when it comes to building layers on a canvas.

DAY 2
On the second day, we will embark on selecting one of our canvases from the first day to deliberately paint a subject of a portal, using a photo reference. I will bring photo references of portals that you can use or you can bring references that you have collected. We will first start with a sketch that we make on top of one of the canvases from Day 1, then paint values of the portals, and then add color as we quiet down the rest of the canvas with strategic areas that we keep alive with evidence of our work from Day 1. On this day, you may decide to take one of the other canvases to coax out stories or concepts that the canvas may be projecting out, through the marks that were made. As time allows, you may be able to do both.

TECHNIQUES
o Overview of tools and materials with principles of best practices in terms of handling paints and caring for tools
o Warm-up exercises to get our mindsets into new ways of thinking and seeing and feeling
o Demonstration and teaching of how to build layers of paint on a blank canvas using 15+ methods
o Discussion of concepts drawn from literature that have applications on how to overcome creative barriers during the creative process
o Discussion of lifelong journey involving how to make the art we make our own by reaching deep into who we are and allowing who we are to be expressed on our canvases
o Principles of solving problems and deciding when a work is finished or finished for the time being
o How to look at and discover concepts that the canvas communicates and how to coax such concepts out into distinctive imagery
o How to apply representational concepts onto the canvas by working with references and quiet the background, and when appropriate, to add shadows for still life-inspired images

SKILL LEVEL
All

KIT FEE: If you bring paints as recommended and use your own paints, there is no kit fee. If you bring paints but don’t bring the ones I recommend and you end up using my paints, the fee will be $20 (to be paid to the instructor by cash or check at time of class).

Supplies to Bring to Class:

o 2 stretched canvases: 18x24 inches is a good size or something slightly smaller (but not larger)
o Fluid Acrylic paints by Golden:
o Titanium White
o Carbon Black
o Titan Buff
o Raw Umber
o Ultramarine Blue
o Cadmium Red (or pyrrole red)
o Diarylide Yellow
o OPTIONAL: Naples Yellow, Prussian Blue, Green Gold, Teal, Phthalo Green, Fluorescent Pink (heavy body)
o Heavy Body acrylics by Holbein
o Jaune Brilliant
o Aqua blue
o Acrylic inks: Golden High Flow acrylics in black and white
o Fineline precision applicators (gauge 20)
o Stabilo-All pencil (black)
o Palette knife, any size
o SUBJECTS: Reference photos of portal subjects (windows, doors, etc.) to that you’d like to paint on the second day stored on your smart phone or tablet (like an iPad), devises fully charged. If you have an old family photo, take a photo of that photo and store it onto your devise. Photos with high contrast (lights and darks) is recommended. If you don’t have a photo, I will have many photo references that you can use.
o PAINTBRUSHES: I use short flat brushes. They are also called “brights.” Do not bring long flats, which look like short flat/brights. I recommend the Dick Blick Scholastic Wonder White brushes. The Blick Scholastics have long blue handles and white nylon bristles and are available on dickblick.com.
o Blick Scholastic Wonder White Brushes (long blue handles)
? One size 12
? One size 20
o EASEL: If you have a collapsible table easel (aluminum or wood) please bring it. If you don’t have an easel, bring a large roll of paper towels.
o Palette paper
o MISC: Paper towels, baby wipes, apron, container for water