Workshop Details
The Four Main Elements of Landscape Thursday Morning Workshop
Do problems capturing one or more of the main landscape elements result in your paintings turning out less successful than they could be? After focusing on each of the four main elements individually: trees, rocks, water and skies, students will be more satisfied with their efforts.
About the Artist
The years Barb has spent painting landscapes, has given her an appreciation of the difficulties involved in capturing their main elements - trees, rocks, water and skies. She enjoys sharing the fun and uncomplicated painting methods she has developed with others.
Photos
Painting with Confidence using a Palette Knife Thursday Evening Workshop
Painting with a palette knife to show confidence, energy and a 'come what may' attitude.
Cathy is a full-time, professional artist who owns and operates her own gallery in Midland, Ontario. Her style and subject matter is diverse and her use of colour is bold and fresh. Cathy enjoys sharing new processes she is working on, and has an active social media presence.
How can you successfully paint people in your landscape painting? How much detail is needed, and how can you avoid making them look "pasted on"? What is the story you want to tell?
Cathy Boyd is a full time professional artist who owns her own gallery/studio in Midland, Ontario. Cathy has been painting for 20 years, and is primarily self taught. She has shown her work in numerous galleries throughout Ontario. Her work has found its way to many countries. Cathy is very prolific and diverse, and completes approximately 100 paintings per year. She teaches private and semi-private classes at her gallery.
Drawing the Horse One - 3 Hour Wednesday Afternoon Workshop
Nancy will provide you with hints to drawing the figure of the horse with details on the eyes, nostrils, legs.
Nancy McHardy has a passion for horses. The Dark Horse Artistry logo is her oil painting of her own mare, Olive My Love, who shows us the energy, strength and beauty of the horse that Nancy portrays in her work. After taking the 5 year Arts & Science program at Newtonbrook Secondary School, her post secondary school education includes Art Design and Photography courses at Georgian College and obtaining the Chartered Insurance Professional designation through the Insurance Institute of Canada. She is also a Certified Chris Irwin Horse Trainer and has completed his Equine Assisted Personal Development courses. Nancy has taken workshops using oil, watercolour, acrylic, pencil and pastel doing landscapes, human figure drawing and animal portraits. Nancy is a member of the Barrie Art Club, South Simcoe Art Council and the Artists at the Gibson in Alliston. Her paintings are displayed in private homes and businesses throughout Ontario, Alberta and England.
Soft Pastel Playtime - 'Two' One - 3 Hour Thursday Evening Workshop
Kim Martin will show you how to capture 'reflections', 'light' and 'transparency' with soft pastel using a simple step by step method. The class will work from a few props (optional: bring a wine bottle and wine glass) or a photograph will be provided by the instructor.
Kim Martin is a Pet Portrait Artist, and this has been her profession for the past 10 years. For 45+ years she has been creating in pastel. Master Pastelist designation with Pastel Artists Canada, 2013
1) Simplifying, 2) Transferring & 3) Resizing Images for Painting Tuesday Afternoon Workshop
Artist Deb Grise will walk you through several processes so you can easily simplify and resize an image or sketch, and transfer to canvas or paper in preparation for the painting process.
Deb Grisé is known for her impressionist and abstracted landscapes in oil, with light and colour being her inspiration. Her relative experience includes art instruction, gallery owner, leadership and volunteer work in art organizations and event co-ordination.
Coloured Pencil Techniques: Bubbles & Candy, Oh My! Wednesday Afternoon Workshop
Explore the exciting realm of coloured pencils in this comprehensive course for all levels of drawing ability. Students will learn the properties, uses and possibilities of coloured pencils. Students will also become familiar with various surfaces through discussion and exploration. Colour theory and The Grid Method will be discussed and practiced as it is key to understanding the results attainable. Two projects will be introduced, each on different paper to ensure student’s exploration. Mixing, layering, dry and wet blending techniques will be demonstrated and you will be encouraged to experiment with innovative methods. Instruction will include frequent demonstrations and ongoing feedback as needed.
Born and raised in Oakville, ON, a young Ruth Ann Pearce often found herself drawing on her parents walls. This fondness of the arts forced her parents to get her out of the house and into the Oakville Art Society, affording her classes in both traditional and contemporary art techniques and ways of thinking. Always longing to improve her skill set in various mediums, Ruth Ann began in the wood shop alongside her father. From their, cartooning, illustration and fine art seemed to be the natural progression. She then focused on traditional methods of drawing and painting at the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD), earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA).
Exploring Elements of Landscape Thursday Evening Workshop
Ever wonder how to make an apple appear spherical, a bowl concave, a cylinder hollow or a box look like it could hold something within? Do you want to create the illusion of depth in your still life? What about the background or base around your objects? Walk with Sharon Black down this path and together you will explore how light, shadow, colour and perspective give an object form. We will also learn how to paint some creative backgrounds and bases such as material and wood.
Art has always been a part of Sharon's life and for many years she traveled and taught throughout Canada and the United States, and as far as Japan. Still life is one of the first art forms that she became involved in before moving on to discover the worlds of plein air and portraiture. Sharon has always felt that once you've learned to accurately draw what you see, you can then apply colour to create light, shadow and depth. This is the path that Sharon walks and she would love to share it with others who are adventurous.
An Introduction to Painting en Plein Air Saturday Workshop
Have you ever wanted to paint out of doors, or if you do paint out, have you wanted the experience to be easier and more successful? Keith Thirgood will show you his own approach to tackling painting en plein air. At it’s core, Keith’s approach to painting en Plein Air is about transferring the feelings you get from your subject onto your painting surface. It’s not about realism, although it works for realism as well. Learn one approach to achieving the simplicity and structure that makes for a good painting, combined with a completely modern approach to colour theory and colour mixing. We explore composition, design, shapes and values. Get these right and you are halfway to a good painting.
About the Artist:
Keith Thirgood is a largely self-taught artist, painting mainly landscapes. His style has been described as Post-Impressionism in the Canadian tradition or Canadian Reductionism. He’s influenced by post-impressionist artists like Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne, as well as Tom Thomson and members of the Group of Seven plus artists like Don Cavin, Mike Svob, and Connie Hayes. Keith is President of the Ontario Plein Air Society, a member of Kawartha Artist Gallery and Studio, Prince Edward County Arts Council, Markham Arts Council, Arts Society of King, Pine Ridge Arts Council, East Central Ontario Art Association (ECOAA) and the Markham Group of Artists. He has taught painting for the Town of Richmond Hill and the Aurora Cultural Centre as well as private students in his studio and in downtown Toronto. Groups such as the Don Valley Art Club, Art Guild of Scarborough and the East Central Ontario Art Association hire him to give workshops and seminars. Keith also runs a number of plein air workshops and retreats every year. In 2018, he’s in Ottawa Valley, Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park and Killarney. Plus, each spring he hosts a number of Plein Air Workshops in the Peterborough area.
Learn creative brushwork that will make your paintings sing! We will learn what your brushes and palette knife can do together, to make your paintings more impressionistic and one of a kind. We will also touch on the basics of colour and design.
Wendy Bermingham grew up in the small town of Aurora, Ontario and graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1985. With a major in Communication and Design, Wendy enjoyed a very successful career as a graphic designer for many years but after spending time getting back to nature, she discovered that fine art was her true calling. Primarily self –taught, she now paints full time in her studio or outside, en plein air and has never looked back. Wendy has traveled throughout Ontario, Europe and the USA to paint, including Italy, California and Arizona, but it is the Canadian landscape where her true passion lies. Painting exclusively in oil and using both brush and palette knife, Wendy captures the movement and light of the forests and trees of Canada. Wendy is an elected member of the Ontario Society of Artists and the Society of Canadian Artists, a member of the Ontario Plein Air Society and the East Central Ontario Art Association.
A fun, positive approach to painting landscapes in watercolour! Marianne will demonstrate step by step, explaining a range of techniques for achieving an exciting landscape painting from a reference photograph, starting wet-in-wet and exploring the magical properties of this wonderful medium. We will cover composition, values, washes, wet-in-wet, interesting colour choices and simplifying the scene to convey a particular concept. Personal creativity is encouraged and there is lots of individual assistance for all levels. A selection of reference photos will be provided.
Marianne was born in England, but spent much of her childhood in Malaysia. The stunning scenery and abundance of exotic animals and plants heightened her love of nature and keen interest in drawing and painting. Marianne settled in Canada in 1980 and lives in Schomberg, surrounded by beautiful countryside.
Marianne's art education in England was furthered by courses in Canada. She is a full-time artist and a sought-after art instructor for both acrylics and watercolours. Her stunning paintings of flowers, landscapes and abstracts have been exhibited in many juried exhibitions in which she has received numerous awards, including several “Best in Show”. Her work can be found in private and corporate collections in many countries.
Detailed Chinese Painting (Gongbi) Monday Workshop
Using the bamboo brush to create the motion of water and ink, and learning how to control highly detailed brushstrokes to produce realist painting, a special technique in Chinese painting.
There will be some Chinese painting product for sale during the workshop.
Aileen (Ka Ieng) Pou has been practicing Chinese art since she was ten and she minored in Fine arts in her undergraduate. Since picking up her first brush, she has developed a strong foundation in art techniques, and has become very adept at using art to express her ideas. Aileen earned painting awards in 2003 and 2009 and has held Chinese art and photography exhibitions in Macau and Hong Kong. She is an artist in Uptown Gallery in Waterloo. She taught children Chinese painting in Toronto Mandarin School during Chinese New year. She has done Chinese calligraphy for TV set and different big brand companies.
Abstracting the Landscape Thursday Morning Workshop
Each landscape has an abstract, graphic presence at its core. This course will teach artists to go beyond the obvious and truly explore movement, texture, colour and bring out abstracted shapes, whether beginners wishing to start developing a style of their own, or established artists looking to refine theirs in the medium of their choice. Instruction will be given to artists working in the means of expression they choose.
Sookrah is a raw colourist whose free brushwork is confident and powerful. His strengths can be seen in his strong sense of design, exquisite use of effective composition, confident presentation of bold colours…
Andrew Cheddie Sookrah is a Canadian artist living and working in Toronto and an elected member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour, the Society of Canadian Artists (Lifetime) , the Ontario Society of Artists and the Portrait Society Of Canada.
2 Days! Beginner to Intermediate Portraiture Weekend Workshop
Students will work from a live model each day to create a convincing, life-like portrait. The workshop will cover key concepts including construction and planes of the head, simple anatomy, light and shadow, shapes, values and edges, use of charcoal/conté medium.
The first day we will draw each other, so artists need to be willing to model for short periods of time.
Anne graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto in 1985 with a diploma in Communication and Design, studied at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, and continues to study at the Haliburton School of the Fine Art, OCADU and attends and schedules independent workshops. She has been drawing from life for over 40 years and has been teaching life drawing for more than seven years. Anne organizes an Open Studio Life Drawing session which has run for thirteen years; and continues to offer workshops on drawing and painting, inviting visiting artists to teach. Anne teaches life drawing at the local integrated arts high school; offers individual and private classes and, when her schedule permits, teaches life drawing classes.
Class outline and materials list
Let's transform that 'so-so' watercolour sketch, or not quite finished painting with pen and ink ! The tools are simple and fun to use, and the results are nothing short of 'magic'! We can add detail, that is tedious to do in paint, add character, and focus and clarify parts of the watercolour that seem to have lost their way. Use a lot of pen and ink marks to give a whole new feeling to that watercolour, or just add bits here and there to enhance the image. Success comes quickly and 'mistakes' can be disguised. And if you love to paint from life, like Christa does outside in the summer, pen and ink is truly a wonderful addition to your painting skills.
The last 20 years teaching art has been wonderful for me. Being able to share all those 'art learnings', and seeing artists creating and gaining confidence in their art, has made these years so interesting, and continues to inspire me to keep on "PAINTING"! My own creative process continues to evolve, the learning and experimentation never ends!
3 Days! Preparing for Plein Air Weekday Workshop
For acrylic and oil painters with experience working in their medium. Demos will be done in acrylics. Painting on location is enjoyable - but difficult. The painter is faced with making choices from the vast amount of visual information, often under changing conditions, and in a limited time. Experienced plein air artists have an approach to planning their composition before they begin to paint. Time spent planning can speed the painting process and increases the chance of a successful painting/sketch and makes the day enjoyable. This three day plein air workshop will begin with one day of working together indoors. We will review fundamentals and approaches to simplifying the information and planning for strong composition. We will work together from supplied reference material. This will prepare us to better handle the two outdoor days with confidence and enjoyment.
Brian retired from the University of Guelph (veterinary medicine) in 2001 and relocated with his wife Cathy to Comox B.C.. Shortly after he began his study with acclaimed artists in Canada and the U.S. In 2007, he committed to full time study at the Jeffrey Watts Atelier in California, drawing and painting from life. He continues to study with exceptional artists. He paints full time in oil and acrylics. His interest is the Canadian landscape, including painting on location (plein air). His work has been described as contemporary impressionism. Brian has won numerous competitions for both his studio and plein air paintings in British Columbia and in 2016 was honoured to be invited to participate in the 50th Anniversary Invitational Plein Air Competition at the McMichael Gallery (home of the Group of Seven Collection) in Kleinburg, Ontario where his painting, McMichael Morning, was awarded First Place. Brian's paintings have been featured in Arabella Magazine, South West Art Magazine and Plein Air Magazine’s Plein Air Today. He is also featured in the North Light Books: The Best of Acrylic Painters, 2014, 2015 and 2016. His paintings have sold across Canada, the USA and Internationally. Brian and Cathy share their time between Courtenay, BC. (Winter) and Collingwood, Ontario (Summer).
3 Days! Painting the Figure Weekend Workshop
This 3 day intensive workshop will help you learn the importance of quick value studies, the excitement of direct painting and mixing flesh colours, and the use of simple palettes, with a new pose and model each day.
Brian Smith graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Canada in 1969. For over 40 years he has been both a professional award-winning graphic designer, and a practicing fine artist focusing on classical drawing and painting from the figure. In January 2005, Brian was awarded the title of Honourary Drawing Master by the Drawing Society of Canada. Brian was named Artist of the Month by American Artist magazine and was a featured artist on the television program Star Portraits. He has taught classes and workshops on life drawing, portraiture and figurative abstraction for over 30 years and has been on the faculty of the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU), The Koffler Centre for the Arts, Haliburton School of Art and Design (HSAD), Curry’s Art School, Visual Arts Mississauga and Neilson Park Creative Centre as well as conducting Master Classes in his own studio.
Sir Edwin Landseer forever changed what a portrait of a dog could be, painting the companions of royalty, working dogs and the everyday dog on the streets of London. This course takes the rich character of those Landseer portraits as inspiration, as well as a wide range of works which approach to the animal is as a subject, including contemporary watercolours of the animal. Demonstrations will address specific aspects of the animal portrait in detail: painting the expressive eye will be demonstrated in a step-by-step approach with a peacock or a horse's eye as subject, and other presentations will cover translating texture, and the challenges of a wide variety of animal anatomy. Reference is provided for all exercises in class, drawn from across the animal kingdom. As time allows, the class will explore the full scope of the watercolour medium as relates to the animal portrait: dry brush textures, underpainting for definition of form, enriching flat colour, conserving whites, iridescence and colour mixing. Handouts will be available detailing demonstrations and exercises.
Martha Robinson holds a BDes (Bachelor of Design) in Illustration from OCAD University, and her background includes a practice in illustration and textile design, as well as solo exhibitions in public and private galleries and juried shows. Her working career as an illustrator demanded a facility with a variety of media and subjects. She now paints primarily in watercolour, and sometimes in oil for exhibition. Martha received her MA in Contemporary Art (CADN) from OCAD University, and is presently a candidate in the Interuniversity Doctoral Programme in Art History at Concordia University. In addition to the subject of her dissertation, the representation of birds in contemporary art, her research interests include natural history, the history of watercolour, mid-century modernism and landscape painting.
Have a fun day playing with colour. Learn to embrace some vivid colour to your paintings starting with a vibrant underpainting. We will review some colour theory and what it takes to create a colour filled dynamic painting.
Sam Paonessa AOCA, OSA is a graduate from the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. His career as a professional artist spanned over 30 years with Hallmark Cards. During that period Sam traveled and painted plein air landscapes in North America, Italy and Morocco. As an active member of the Ontario Society of Artists, he has been sharing his valuable experience gaining recognition as an accomplished painting workshop instructor for numerous art groups across Ontario.
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday to Friday
