First workshop in two years!!!

FINALLY the workshop that I registered for over 2 years ago was going to really happen.

It was hard to believe but I was in the car and on my way to Montreal to meet Bob Burridge and gain knowledge of his artistic methods and painting processes. Once that would be under my belt, I could adapt many of these approaches to my own work. I was most impressed with his approach to starting out with a subject or theme in mind right from the beginning and keeping his brush in motion so that the work would not suffer from over thinking resulting in a work that is way to tight. I'm still trying to get his very specific colour wheel in my head. Surprisingly though I mixed some yummy greys and was off and running in this limited palette concentrating on the collage materials and focal point exercise. Normally, I'm into colour, colour, colour, but this muted selection was really tickling my fancy along with the cruciform composition. I wanted to explore both these aspects with a theme and series in mind.

I took advantage of this complete week of art with a room full of other artists to talk art art art. Both the in-person aspect of really being with people AND having everyone in the room concentrating on art was food for the soul!!!!
 

Oh and don't worry, I didn't abandon colour entirely for the week. I did spend some time experimenting with Bob's goof proof colour wheel, attempting to understand the percentages and colour selections that work best together. AND understanding that when you pick red as your dominant colour, red's neighbours can also play in the same garden, along with knowing that there is a time and place for breaking the rules and 'making it work'.

I'll certainly have fun playing with these colour concepts down the road.

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