Susan Lyon and Scott Burdick Workshop - My Review

 

 Last week I attended a six day workshop at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio in Langely WA on Whidbey Island. This was my second workshop at the Studio and once again it was very well organized and the venue was well laid out with lots of room. They do a great job and I recommend them for workshops. I took our RV and parked in the fairground where the workshop took place - $15 a night - can't beat that.

We had three days each from Susan and Scott.

Each day they began with a new model, new lighting set up and new approach to starting the portrait. Each demo was about 2 1/2 hrs. Each afternoon we painted the same models for 3 hours.
Six days of full morning demos is a lot and can be hard to take - but not with these two instructors. Each day was filled with learning and suggestions and most participants , including me , were pretty much on the edge of their seats the whole time. This couple is so skilled at their craft , so full of knowledge and so willing to share it that you don't want to miss a minute. It was fun to learn of their painting adventures and their own journeys learning to paint.

And they are so different in their approaches that we got to see technique from two entirely different painters. I saw her as a prima ballerina and him as a cowboy - and it made it really fun to watch and compare.

Susan began with a thin wash sketching in the darks

Then adding the lights 

Notice the palette management - neat as a pin

Second day Susan sketched in darks with thin wash

Almost finished - gorgeous piece - the head is only about 4 in high

Susans third started with blocking in the lights

Then the darks 

and almost finished

Scotts first began with a bold block in of the lights

Then adding the darks

Almost finished - notice the palette management 

Second day was a vine charcoal drawing to start

Then the value patterns

Almost finished

Third day was drawn in with transparent paint

Amazing handling of thick paint 

Power paint added

Demo final - what an amazing piece it was

And one of my attempts:

11x14 on linen

And finally another of mine :

But this one I had to buy - one of Scotts prior demos

I was very pleased to be able to add a Scott Burdick to my growing collection. Wish I had one of Susans as well - but the budget only goes so far. 

In summary, it was an excellent workshop. Continuous delivery of information and demonstrations of outstanding skill. And the six days were made fun by the warm and sharing personalities of them both. 

Highly recommend them - and they don't do many workshops. 

Now got to get practicing so I don't loose it. 

Preparing for Susan Lyon and Scott Burdick Workshop

Practicing head studies - from Zorn

I decided a few weeks ago that I needed some time just painting for  myself. So I decided that I would focus on portraiture/ figurative learning for much of the summer. I have not worked with that subject for a few years. I like doing it and its' great discipline.

I was pleased to find that  David Goatley, one of Canada's most noted portrait painters,  had a five day workshop only a couple of hours drive from us and on a week that I had free. I was preparing myself and looking forward to it. Unfortunately it was cancelled.

One door closes and another opens. So I did a bit of homework and found that Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio was having a 6 day workshop for Susan Lyon and her husband Scott Burdick that same week. As expected it was full. But I sent an email inquiring just in case. Two days later I was in. They had  last minute cancellation and it was too late for others on the waiting list. Bingo!

I have followed their work for many years. I have their DVDs and videos. I was very pleased to get in. But this is a serious workshop and I had not done anything with face or figure for years.

So I started a few days ago  re watching their videos, those of Jeff Watts, Steve Huston, Robert Librace and others. I also reread the great Andrew Loomis  books Creative Illustration and Painting the Head and Hands. 

Then I spent a few hours each day working with planes of the head, shadow patterns and facial features, drawing and  in paint. I have a week to continue to practice before the workshop  hoping I will be well enough prepared in advance to take advantage of what those two amazing artists have to offer.

Homework examples. Playing with different brush and surface combinations.

For those working with WM oils, for the first time I used Cobras Paste Medium (in a tube). Works great and little solvent or water needed. Thick and juicy play.

Will keep you posted.

Workshop with the Art Group of the Comox Valley

Finished a two day Preparing for Plein Air workshop with members of the Art Group of the Comox Valley. Great group and very well organized. The venue was the beautiful ocean-front home and gardens of Kate Brown.

The workshop focused on planning, preliminary sketching, value plans and getting ones head in the right place for the challenges of painting on location. The group took to it like ducks to water. Great fun for me.

For anyone interested in this group contact artgroup.cv@gmail.com

New Plein Air set up for our RV

Last year Cathy and I changed from a truck with a fifth wheel trailer to a class C motorhome. Suits us in most respects but , without our truck, it means we need to unplug and move every time I want to paint in the area.

So I modified my older mountain bike and added a Bionx Peddle Assist battery system and a Burley Travoy bike trailer .  I dug out an old large back pack that fit my ArtBox plein air system and all supplies and a new duffle bag for a simplified acrylic set up.

So now I have a mobile plein air system for both oil and acrylic that gives me full freedom from the RV.

The Bionx system is terrific. I can use the bike without the assist for workouts or add the power that responds to the gear and torque applied. I am booked for a knee replacement in a few months so it enables me to pull the added gear without problems.

The Travoy bike cart is also a great addition. Even if I didn't use it behind a bike it is a great system for toting gear and it folds up to almost nothing. Great investment.

Of course it did mean we had to get Cathy a Bionx for her bike as well.

A few recent sketches done on RV trips using my new set up.

Acrylic 11x14

Oil on MDF board 8x10

Oil on linen board 8x10

Oil on Linen board 11x14

Painting the Peaks - Whistler BC

Spent the past few days with White Dog Gallery in Whistler in a local event - Painting the Peaks.  The first day I worked in oils and did four 8x10 oil sketches - two I will take home to see what comes of them and two I scrubbed.

Thumbnail and sketch with acrylic marker on linen 

Two 8x10 oils on linen with heavy palette knife work

 The next day I painted in acrylics. The light was off and on  flat and the peaks a long way off so I sketched and painted the Whistler peaks as accurately as I could then pushed the colour and added different foregrounds from my imagination. Trying to project my view closer and to give the piece punch. It was not a day I would normally do plein air of this subject because of the light but this was an "event" I was in so I tried to make the best of it. Three one hour 11x14 sketches.  I did one more but it is going to the burn pile.

Whistler Peak from White Dog gallery - a challenge to make interesting 

sketch with acrylic markers - on canvas 11x14

Underpainting 

sketch with foreground from imagination 

Second sketch 

Same peak new foreground from imagination 

Third sketch of peaks with a different foreground

A fun event. Thanks to Penny Edder of White Dog Gallery and my wife Cathy who puts up with it.

Arizona Memories

Arizona Memory Acrylic 16x24

Back from the trip south ( William Hook workshop at Scottsdale) and settling in to my West Coast routine. Did a few Arizona pieces  along the way and at home and found it challenging to get a feel for capturing such a different place and to use colours that both  represent and still  are interesting.

I am reminded of how difficult it is for a landscape  painter to get dropped into a different world and how much I rely on my own experience at home and use my memory and imagination in finishing my work.