FEBRUARY VIRTUAL WORKSHOP
Land and Cityscape Workshop
Feb 4th Feb 5th Feb 6th
5 x 3hr Sessions
$200
Overview
You’ll delight in Stacy’s watercolors and oils of architecture at home as well as in Spain. David will explore the wanderings of Don Quixote, in addition to showing how his masterpiece, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, was created. Jackie will reveal in beautiful brushstrokes the reason she relocated to her little corner of paradise in Oregon. Sherrie will use oil for two plein air compositions of the mountains, a transient pastel moonscape and a recreation of a ceremonial nocturne from memory.
What's Included!
- 15+ hours of abbreviated demos and LIVE art discussions
- 12 painting demos
- Silent full-length versions of each film to paint along with later
- Complete supply lists
- Photos of equipment set-ups
- Extreme over-the-shoulder close-ups of brushstrokes
- Unlimited access to Zoom & real-time demos for 90 days
February Workshop Schedule
Feb 4th / Morning: Bonus Session!
SHERRIE — PLEIN AIR MOUNTAIN SKETCH PART 1
SHERRIE — LANDSCAPE & CITYSCAPE PPT
On this first complimentary day, you will enjoy Stacy’s loose and quick watercolor demo of the Portland, Oregon Union Station building. Then you’ll get to see the first of Sherrie’s oil plein air sketches of the Taos mountains in a horizontal format, as she tries to find her concept.
In our tradition of talking about examples from artists in the past, all the instructors will be present for a slide presentation of landscapes and cityscapes throughout history, discussing this genre and answering your questions thoroughly. With this stimulating preparation, you’ll be ready for the actual workshop!
Feb 5th / Morning
SHERRIE — PAINTS THE MOUNTAINS PART 2
DAVID — RECREATES HIS MOUNTAIN MASTERPIECE
Stacy will start off the day with one of her delightful watercolors of an architectural scene in Portland, Oregon in Fields Park. Beginning with a simple drawing, she will show a level of freedom with watercolor that is sure to tempt every viewer to try this fresh medium for its immediacy and convenience.
Sherrie, unhappy with the first attempt, wipes off her sketch of the mountains and starts another one of the same view on the same canvas, but this time in a vertical composition. This demo will no doubt open up many discussions about concept and composition.
David will then recreate one of his landscape masterpieces, Sangre de Cristo Mountains. This scene is right in his neighborhood, and from years of studying it in various light situations, David uses both memory and imagination to recreate this striking light effect. He will be available to discuss his thinking process in creating this beautiful visual idea and how it unfolded.
Feb 5th / Afternoon
JACKIE PASTEL SKETCH
JACKIE PAINTS COOS BAY IN OIL
Stacy and Jackie will be available to answer questions about their explorations of painting the out-of-doors in two very different environments. First Stacy uses both watercolor and oil on a trip to Europe to capture the beauty of an ornamented doorway in Spain. Interested in a dramatic shadow cast on the architecture, Stacy works steadily to capture the symmetry of the doorway. Done from sketches later in her studio, she captures the feeling of light and air seemingly effortlessly.
Jackie then exudes delight with a medium that she explored early in her career—pastel. This little sketch captures the freshness of her backyard, rich with old growth in Coos Bay. Then she uses oil in her initial study of her backyard to show how landscape lends itself to a painterly approach. Using the ocean and sky to frame the flora and fauna, her juicy brushwork shimmers with light!
Jackie shows that all the inspiration you need to make beautiful paintings can be within a mile of your own home, while Stacy’s wanderlust shows how you can travel lightly and still recreate the beauty you’ve discovered abroad even when back home.
Feb 6th / Morning
SHERRIE PAINTS MOONSCAPE IN PASTEL
First up is a second sketch of Jackie’s as she explores her own property further. Her demos will show you how you can find inspiration in the most available of subjects—trees, water and sky.
Then in an unusual instance where photography was unavoidable, Sherrie captures a fleeting Taos moonrise over the mountains. She explores this visual idea for us in pastel, her first medium as an art student. Her choice to use pastel was driven by wanting to quickly capture this moonrise. Because the photo summons that moment back vividly for her, this magical scene quickly comes to life!
This day’s film will open up creative possibilities, as you will find ways to paint a scene that stimulates you artistically. Whether you look out a window or take a photo, you can still make your painting contain the life and vibrancy of light and air, no matter the circumstances.
Feb 6th / Afternoon
DAVID — PAINTS DON QUIXOTE FROM IMAGINATION
Sherrie goes to a local ceremony every year on Christmas Eve. The Pueblo is generous enough to allow the townsfolk to attend, but they do not allow photography. Captivated by the mystery of the evening, Sherrie has done several paintings from memory. In this workshop she paints another version of this ceremony using a watercolor sketch (done the next day after the event) as her reference. We watch her discover the beauty of the smoke, fires and procession all over again, this time in oil.
When asked why David has always been captivated by the story of Don Quixote, he replied, “Because of the horse.” So that is what has driven his return to this theme over and over again in his career. Working on a large hand-primed canvas, David uses some photos of Spanish windmills to inform the details in the painting, while making up the figures on a horse and a donkey. You will see a real painting unfold as he continues to work on it. You will also see those updates as the work progresses while he is alone in his studio.
The Teachers
David Leffel
David Leffel is not only recognized by his peers as a painters’ painter, he is also considered by many to be no less than the artistic reincarnation of Rembrandt. A talented writer, Leffel has authored two important art books, An Artists Teaches: Reflections on the Art of Painting and Self-Portraits: A Journey of Insight
Sherrie McGraw
Sherrie McGraw studied and taught painting and drawing at the famous Art Students League of New York. Recent recognitions include an honorary doctorate from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco for her accomplishments in the art world and a rare medal from the Butler Institute of American Art. She is widely recognized as a prominent artist of our time.
Jacqueline Kamin
Jacqueline Kamin’s illustrious career was nurtured at the Corcoran Museum School and later at the Sculpture Studio and the Art Students League in New York. Her poetic and painterly style developed early on and soon became recognized by many prestigious art organizations through awards and juried shows at the Bowers Museum, the Salmagundi Club, the California Art Club and Oil Painters of America.
Stacy Kamin
Stacy studied illustration and traditional animation at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, earning a BA in 2000. Drawn to the dramatic effects of Rembrandt, Stacy sought out the instruction of two well-known masters of this knowledge—David A Leffel and Sherrie McGraw. She credits their influence for the startling light that she is able to achieve in her own work. “They introduced me to Abstract Realism, a way of painting so rich that I can’t imagine my education ever ending—I will be a student of this great tradition for my entire life.”
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS
“I loved every moment of it. I especially was fascinated by the closeups of the actual brushstrokes. So many of my questions were answered during these 7 days.”
“The richness of the content, the integrity of the process and I love that I can watch the videos again for the next 90 days. Glorious!”
“Watching each artist paint and having him/her explain the thoughts behind the choice of stroke, value, and color is incredible. Also being able to sit at my kitchen table and not have to leave home, but have the opportunity to learn and be inspired.”
Top FAQs About Our Workshop
During the actual workshop, we encourage watching and engaging with our instructors LIVE, so they can fully answer your questions about the paintings in progress. Then at the end of the day, with access to both the Zoom recording and the full-length demonstrations, you can choose to revisit the day’s discussion about painting or paint along quietly in your own studio to the real time video.
You’ll have the best of both worlds—you can give your complete attention to the discussion and demos, and then later, after digesting the expert instruction, you can apply it to your own work, at your own pace, in your own space…quietly, and without pressure.
You’ll have the best of both worlds—you can give your complete attention to the discussion and demos, and then later, after digesting the expert instruction, you can apply it to your own work, at your own pace, in your own space…quietly, and without pressure.