NOCTURNE - A Kevin Courter Workshop

This past weekend Christin and I were fortunate to be part of a three day workshop atl'Atelier aux Couleurs: The Art Academy in Petaluma with the gifted artist Kevin Courter. The workshop was titled “NOCTURNES” because he often paints with this low-light theme in mind. While most people would consider his approach tonal… he thinks his nocturnes are far less muted than most tonal painters because he uses more intense colors in the backgrounds and skies.

His approach is quite unique and begins with a monochromatic under-painting by mixing dark transparent colors to create the foundation of the painting. Using Q-Tips, he pulls of delicate amounts of paint from the masses to indicate the highlights and shape of the trees, marshes, etc. He spends quite a long amount of time on this process and considers it crucial to be successful at this stage or the painting will often not work out. It’s almost as if he was using a scratch-board process. He begins applying color. He mixes in a large puddle and pulls all of his colors from here using very subtle shifts. It’s crucial to have a compressed palette in nocturnes because the night light flattens the color temperature.

I don’t take many workshops, but I believe that by occasionally exposing myself to the techniques, methods and thought processes great painters… these things will absorb into my knowledge base and merge into my process however it should. It is tempting to try and copy his paintings and style… but I consider this counter-productive. Simply watching and absorbing his demos was a treat. He is a very generous painter/teacher and I have a newfound appreciation for his work (which I always liked anyway). There were many other wonderful artists in attendance and the paintings that were created were put up on the holding shelves during the three days… in the end, there were so many fantastic creations that it was even difficult to pick out the original Courters’.

Here are the three paintings I created at the workshop. I'm pleased with all of them.

Refuge Moon - 12x12 oil - by Richard Lindenberg

Moonlit Cypress - 12x9 oil - by Richard Lindenberg

Bodega Bay Moon - 8x16 oil - by Richard Lindenberg

2011 DOOR COUNTY PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL - How To Stage a Perfect Event

Having participated in many Plein Air events, it's easy to see why the Door County Plein Air Festival organizers at the Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek, WI have become one of the top events in the nation. The highly dedicated women who facilitate this event seem to clearly see what makes it all work and the 2011 festival produced enormous results. At the time of this posting, sales increased by 44% over 2010 with 207 paintings sold in the first two days.

Several years ago, Christin had received an invitation from Cinnamon Rossman (the event director) but had declined to attend due to the distance and lack of knowledge of the area or event. Last year our friends Carole Gray-Weihman and Al Tofanelli described thier incredible experience to us, so we contacted Cinnamon and we were invited to participate in the 2011 event.

Clearly the Door County Plein Air Festival has developed huge support from the local community and from around the Midwest metropolitan areas who vacation there each year and take advantage of the summer recreational opportunities this unique Lake Michigan spot offers. Building support of the community is one of the main ingredients for success in any event. Building the knowledge base about creating and collecting fine art is crucial. In addition to the schools schedule of classes and website offerings, they provide weeklong opportunities for the "Palette Pass" holders (who are invited to all of the weeks events) to be involved. There was a meet the artists night dinner held lakeside on Monday, A sunset paint-out in Sister Bay on the waterfront with catered food and drinks, the Gala for collectors was held on Friday night, a quick draw at the waterfront on Saturday and a public opening reception on Saturday night. In addition, throughout the week, artists were asked to sign up for specific locations so that the public could come and watch the painters work. Everyone was so excited to see the weeklong results from the artists, that paintings were simply flying off the walls at the Gala and this energy continued into the next day.

Another major component for the success of this event was the selection of hi-caliber talent. Although I work for Plein Air Magazine and am familiar with many of the nationally acclaimed plein air artists, there were many artists here that have not reached a national stage, yet were exceptional talents. Tom Nachreiner, Mat Barber Kennedy, Frank Gardner, Mark Boedges, Stuart Fullerton, Jim Hempel, Brian Sindler, John Stuart Pryce and William Suys were among those who I admired but had not known and they joined some of my favorites who have achieved a larger audience like Marc Hanson, Colin Page, Joshua Been, Jim Markle, Shelby Keefe, Debra Joy Groesser, Kim Casebeer, Mary Garrish and Ulrich Gleiter. Other artists who haven't been mentioned here also worked hard and deserve mention, but then I would just be listing everyone.

Door County is a gem. The beauty of this peninsula that juts out into the enormous Lake Michigan provides a wealth of painting subjects. We were thrilled to be part of this event and took away lasting memories. Here are some more photos of the area.

Winters Plein Air - A day at Terra Firma Farm

Thursday April 1^st turned out to be an unexpectedly joyful painting day. Shaunie had arranged for a group of us to paint at Terra Firma Farm, a sprawling arrangement of organic fields, orchards and buildings. After a brief tour of the acreage, we parked up at the old farmhouse with a few out-buildings. There were six of us who set up our easels on a bluff overlooking a patchwork of softly colored fields that were plowed in angular patterns of color. Some painted the fields, others the eucalyptus groves and barns. The sun came out mid-day and it felt great after a cloudy morning. I painted the fields and later the pond with some meandering Eucs. Another day in paradise.

Plein Air Poetry - Introduced at SLO Plein Air Festival

At the recent San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival... I was introduced to "Plein Air Poetry".  It is a common form of poetry where the author experiences something while outside and jots down the poem. The name originated at the SLO Poetry Festival.

One night, Kevin Patrick Sullivan (an exuberant man and producer of the SLO Poetry Festival)  hosted a group of local poets that read some of thier creations at the Art Center to a crowd of painters and poets.  In fact... two of the poets tagged along with two of the painters at the event and wrote about their experience. Poet Paula Lowe gave me a gift of her groups book "Poems for Endangered Places" and Kevin gave me "The Space Between Things". I was so moved by the work and their generosity that it inspired me to create my own poems that come from my personal painting experiences.  Here is my first work titled "Morning at Pelican Point".  There are sure to be more.

"Morning at Pelican Point"

Sun backlights

this enormous remnant

of coastline past,

while the pelicans sleep 

camouflaged on its

sharp decline to the sea.

Part shade

part sun

sometimes fog

The iconic monolith watches

blue horizon

creamy dunes

the long intruding pier

and amazing birds...

just as it does every day.

10/2/2009

Associated Painting:  Pelican Point - Pismo Beach

copyright 2009 - Richard Lindenberg

NORTH TAHOE PLEIN AIR - a week in heaven

A week at Lake Tahoe, when the tourists are gone, is food for the soul.  Christin and I just returned from the week long North Tahoe Plein Air event.  There were 38 artists who spent three days painting the lake and its surroundings for the show on Saturday and Sunday at Northstar Village.  The daytime weather was perfect with bright sunny skies and cool shade which made for a painter's dream. 

We were the guests of Lois and Andy Skaff for the week who are also the organizers of the event which was put on in association with North Tahoe Arts and the 24th annual Autumn Food and Wine Festival. Each day we ventured out to different locations that Andy and others recommended.  Emerald Bay, Blackwood Canyon, the Truckee River and the Lake shores itself.  Simply endless beauty to paint.

     

Paul Kratter, Zee Zee Mott and Craig Mitchell were the judges for the event.  I was fortunate to have won the coveted "Artist's Choice" award (image below) and Andrew Bolam won "Best of Show". Andy Skaff, Carole Gray-Weihman, Randall Stauss and Bonita Paulis won the other awards.  Sennelier Artist Oils provided several of the winner prizes. Many of the unsold paintings from the event are for sale at North Tahoe Arts, 380 North lake Blvd., Tahoe City until October 18th.

A Week at the Frank Bette Alameda Plein Air Paint-Out

Last week I spent five days painting on the island of Alameda which borders Oakland, CA.  It was the 4th annual event and is the primary fundraiser for the Frank Bette Art Center.  Debra Owens, the director of the center coordinated a fantastic week for the artists.  

Alameda is an extraordinary place with hundreds of old restored Victorian houses, an old Navy Air Field with many colorful old buildings, sail and power boats galore, a large beach overlooking San Francisco and interesting downtown shopping districts.

During my stay there I was hosted by Dr. Laurie Chaikin on her incredible 47ft Catamaran Yacht the Charleete II. Each day there were organized events for the artists.  We had an opening day artists party with sushi and assorted other goodies, portrait sessions, garden set-ups, house paintings and more.  One of the more memorable events for me was held at the Rock Wall Winery which occupies a huge old aircraft hangar at the now defunct Alameda Naval Air Station.  They hosted some artists with glasses of their fine wines while I painted from inside the hangar through the gigantic 8ft thick hangar doors that they opened for the occasion to reveal a sunset view across the bay to San Francisco.

Silvio Silvestri won Best of Show and the other award winners were equally terrific.  We couldn't have had nicer weather and the results were spectacular.

Winters "Paint the Town" - An unexpected joy!

At the beginning of April, I drove my RV (Artie) up to Winters, CA to take part in a plein air event that was sponsored by Briggs & Co. It was an unexpected joy to have seen this pristine historical farming area and to be welcomed so warmly by the kindhearted people.

The painting event was for seven days, with a reception on the following Saturday night. Since Winters is only an hour from my home, I decided to paint for the full week. This gave me a chance to settle in to the area and really explore a new region. 

The area sits just east of Lake Berryessa in Solano County. On the west were the rather large Vaca Mountains which lit up blue each night at dusk. Expansive plowed fields, all kinds of barns and farm equipment, as well as flowering orchards with prunes, almonds, walnuts, peaches, apricots and other varieties were everywhere. Putah Creek meanders through town and into the hills... it's a rather large creek in many areas with easy access. Solano Lake sits in the heart of the area and is not only gorgeous at dusk, but provides a sanctuary for birds, fish and kayakers. Steady Eddy's coffee house seemed to be the gathering point for everyone... Bicycle riders from Davis, townspeople and visitors alike. At some point each day during my stay I made a stop to check emails and have a brew.   

Shaunie Briggs was the energetic promoter of the event along with the aid of her wonderful family.  She provided us with some wonderful backyard meals and her gallery walls were cleared out for event so more than 100 paintings created by approximately 60 artists could be displayed. The show produced some extraordinary artwork and it was simply a pleasure to have taken part. Rick Purvis and Mary Kay Korn kindly provided a parking spot at their home and occasional showers. For sure next year "Paint the Town" will be on my calendar.