Always Learning on The Run!

From time to time I get invited to go on the Now and Zen charter boat, with my friends Ralph and Leslie. We decided to collaborate on a project together, something fun and energizing, because he is on the boat more than I and has he opportunity to see amazing early morning views of the beautiful north Florida waterways. He recently showed me his photos of some of them, and I was struck by their simple beauty, the mists in the trees and on the water. It occurred too me how very oriental or "Zen" they were, and how much I would like to paint those types of subjects primarily in watercolor. I decided to try some right on the boat (no easy task!) and see how it went. We got up early and set out from Fernandina harbor, and headed toward Jacksonville (an 8 hour trip!) After witnessing and photographing a glorious sunrise and some series of dolphins (we ultimately spotted 10 throughout the trip), I tried a couple of paintings while the boat was moving, so it was a bit frustrating and challenging. I got more of a feeling than a realistic representation of anything in particular. Well here they are. Next time, we decided, we'd pick a location to anchor and wait for the sunrise, and stay put to get one or two good paintings ( hope springs eternal!) In time I will do a show from the photo reference as well, we have loads from this trip and his others, so something to look forward to!

Watercolor Workshop Cafe -and Materials List

“I am always in search of the Ultimate Cafe!”-
Gordon Meggison

Fast Track Watercolor Workshop
By Gordon Meggison
8 people maximum, 4 people minimum
Itinerary- May 12 Saturday (9:45am) 10 am -5:30 pm

This work shop is a one day watercolor workshop designed to rev up your watercolor skills to the next level. It is designed for the student who has had at least some experience, not necessarily advanced, so that by the end of the day we can have a couple of small 10”x 14” watercolors ( or size of your choice ) and some exercises that give your watercolors a boost , with important principle skills that will apply to every watercolor painting you do in the future.
(Some aspects of this rough itinerary are subject to change as we progress depending on the timing of each event.)

Arrive: 9:45 am to set up 6 people maximum, 4 people minimum
10:00 am -Demonstration -Abstract- which lends itself to include color theory, composition, drawing, that highlights the application skills such as brush control, washes, wet on wet, specialty techniques, moving toward learning the basic and important ways to achieve luminosity and richness in your work, while creating a charming abstraction.
11:00 am Exercise- Students will do the brief exercise from demo reference
12:00 - 1:30am- lunch Demo at restaurant, it is designed to be a precursor for taking your art out of the studio, we will eat at a local restaurant with the Gordon Meggison ( Restaurant location TBD, possibly European Street Cafe , Pizza Palace, or Taverna to create a european “In Search of the Ultimate Cafe” experience! ( restaurant choice is subject to availability).
1:45 pm- return toReddi Arts- DEMO of easel watercolor painting to use wet on wet techniques to create rich soft luminous compelling paintings. (working from photo)
2:30 - 5:00pm -Students will begin to paint (1-2) from the demo to recreate the same effect with guidance. (working from photo provided by Gordon Meggison)
5:00 pm-5:30pm- wrap up, and a discussion re-examining everything covered for the day, and a group photo.



Paint - Winsor & Newton Pro grade is best , It is more expensive but with less fillers and richer color, or Holbein paints (14 ) Preferred Palette-Colors - Cadmium Red, Rose Madder, Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue , Indigo, Horizon Blue, Olive Green, Hookers Green, Sap Green, Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Orange , Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow, Bismuth Yellow,
(NOTE: If $ Cost is a real problem we can make most (7) colors from: Rose Madder, Cadmium Yellow, Sap Green, Burnt umber, Burnt sienna, Yellow ochre, Cobalt Blue)

Color wheel
Pallet pan - Medium size folding plastic palette

Paper
140lb Cold Pressed Arches Watercolor Paper Block suggested size 10”x 14”
Optional -Inexpensive (8x11 practice watercolor pad for sketches )

Brushes - #12 Sable, (that comes to a point not too cheap not too expensive) 1" Nylon Synthetic or Hake Brush (Japanese Brush for washes), get a pkg with a range of bright whites rounds and flats mixed, a one inch flat bright white should be there. (get a brush holder folding cloth too.

Low adhesion masking tape painters style 1" or drafting tape
#2 pencil
kneaded eraser
Semi coarse salt in a small shaker
Flat 3” X 5” kitchen sponge (not the kind with coarse scrub texture on backside)
Plastic water cup for cleaning ( make sure it has a stable base)
Paper towels

Masking Fluid

Great color mixing video to watch

http://www.paintbasket.com/paintbaskettv/

Great Color mixing tutorial

In Oil class Rachel did a fantastic job , her first abstract using some of the color field theory ideas, Staprans was a major influence on her here.

Oil Painting Class Materials and latest paintings in oils

I wanted to update and simplify my materials list, these items can be purchased at local art supply stores or you can go to the banner ad I have placed here and look for these items at very reasonable prices online at Blick.

Here are two still lifes I did recently ("Life as a Bowl of Cherries " SOLD immediately), and "Taking Time For Tea and Croissant" are hanging to date at Biscotti's restaurant in Avondale Jacksonville.

Colors
Burnt umber, burnt sienna, naples yellow, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson, cadmium red, cadmium orange, cobalt blue, cerulean blue, large tube zinc white
Set of white nylons brushes -Flats #12,#4, #2, and Filbert#4,#2, a Whale tale steel palette knife, Gamblin refined linseed oil, Gamblin Gamsol pure odorless mineral spirits, some 8X8" Ray mar Boards to paint on or some (small of your choice canvases or canvas boards will do,
Paper palette tablet for mixing, a color wheel,
A small oil tub and brush cleaning bottle with a coil in it for thinner, paper towels or rags.

The Tulip Bubble of 2012

We are up to our snozzes at JCA in tulips to learn the soft watercolor blending techniques that flowers require to achieve delicacy and "luminosity", that's the key word here. We don't want to over work a watercolor- "Less is more"! seen up close is student Arlene Shapiro as she is progressing at a lightening pace as we practice these tulips. I am very encouraged. She gets the blending needed to create the undulating curves. Here is a close up of her tulips, of which we are both proud.
COMING EVENTS:
WATERCOLORS: We are looking forward to May 12 at Reddi Arts from 10-5pm Saturday where students I have worked with before can qualify to get this accelerated skills work shop to fast track their talent to the next level. Call John Cummings (904) 398-3161 ext 303 or John@reddiarts.com .
OILS: Upon request JCA has added a second watercolor class on Wednesday nights, 7-9pm.

An Inspirational Abstract Source for Years to Come

In class I had a long small canvas I wanted to play on. I just wanted to play in color. I like to try different kinds of techniques and approaches to painting, and oil is one of the most versatile mediums for experimentation. You can get thin washes, then thick rich impastos, careful blends and then rich sumptuous glazes. This piece has all of those things. It was a class exercise that I enjoyed immensely. My starting point was a photo I took of a boat that had many layers of paint stripped partially off. It was an inspirational source that will continue to inspire a variety of interpretations for years to come

Class Schedule for March -April!

Luminous Watercolors !
Watercolors Classes designed to help you achieve fresh
exciting paintings you will be proud to show!
Gordon Meggison has designed several "immediate reward" exercises that affirm key painting techniques to assure your approach is strong and successful. He encourages "play" as an essential part of learning often set aside for the "serious work" of adulthood. This "Fountain of Youth" ingredient helps you discover the pleasure, sense of poetry and accomplishment that is watercolor. Gordon will help you become "fluid" and loose, one of the features that watercolors is specially designed to meet. Join me and lets have fun!

Gordon's watercolor class schedules are currently as follows:
Reddi Arts: Fridays 10 am -1pm Starting Mar 2- ending April 6
Cost $195.
http://www.reddiarts.com/ClassesandWorkshops.html
www.reddiarts.com or call Jim (904)398-3161 ext 319

JCA: Mondays 10 am - 12pm Starting Mar 5-ending April 9
or: Wednesdays 7pm - 9pm Starting Mar 7-ending April 11
Cost: JCA members: $102. , $153 for non members
www.jcajax.org, or call Thelma Neid at (904)730-2100 ext 227 thelma.nied@jcajax.org

The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach : Please Request- Upon sufficient request by students, five members is the minimum requirement. www.ccpvb.org or email lrodante@ccpvb.org


Also- Refreshingly Simple Oil Painting!
Oil Painting can be easy or difficult. If you want to avoid tired overworked
oil paintings, Gordon Meggison has simple techniques that get you there fast!
We all want to paint like a pro, but first the basics need to get established or you find yourself making the same mistakes over and over and working yourself to death with little satisfaction. His approach to oil painting covers your introduction from the drawing, sketch wash, and leads you quickly to a pleasing finish in just a few calculated steps. Gordon will help you spot solutions so you can get on with doing what you really want to do, make great paintings!

Classes for Oils at JCA : (www.jcajax.org)
Mondays 7pm - 9pm Starting Mar 5 - ending April 9
Wednesdays 10 am - 12 pm Starting Mar 7-ending April 11
Cost: JCA members $102., $153 for non members
or call Thelma Neid at (904)730-2100 ext 227 or email - thelma.nied@jcajax.org
For materials lists go to host site or www.gordonmeggison.blogspot.com

Painting Atmospheric Effects in Oils

Sometimes a painting is not about a particular thing , rather it is about the space around the apparent subject. In this case the subject is not the farmhouse, but about the Tuscan landscape. Here in a couple of hours I rendered a small painting of the Tuscan atmosphere as the hills recede into the distance. Flattening out the treatment of the distant hills makes any detail in the foreground look more close and intimate, but there really is very little detail in this picture. Using warm yellow ochre and some orange and reds muted back in almost everything, even the greens, "warms" the tonal range of the picture to capture that warm summer in the Italian countryside as a day is setting. I could take this basic picture now and warm it and soften it further by adding glazes, but it needs to dry a bit before that can happen. That would be done with oily glaze mixes using burnt sienna. An artist that I love is George Inness if you want to study more atmospheric qualities of light in the way he handled his
landscape subject.

Winter Watercolor and Oil Schedule

I am teaching at a couple of locations, Reddi-Arts(reddiarts.com) and JCA (Jewish Community Alliance www.jcajax.org)

These classes are for beginner to intermediate watercolor enthusiasts. Basic color theory, color harmony, composition, wash techniques basic painting skills will be taught

Reddi Arts Watercolor Classes Jan 13,2012 Every Friday 10 am- 1 pm, a 6 week course

JCA Watercolor Classes Jan 9, 2012 Every Monday classes 10 am -12pm, a 6 week course


This class is for beginner to intermediate Oil painting enthusiasts. Basic color theory, color harmony, composition, wash techniques basic painting skills will be taught


JCA Oil Painting Classes Jan 9, 2012 a 6 week course starting at 7pm - 9pm a 6 week course

At class we were covering some simple background wash techniques, then adding a tree, which I rendered over the background , so here are the photos for the students to review of the two parts of the painting. I am following with a better older sample of the same idea.