Learn to Paint with Master Gordon Meggison

 

I offer painting lessons to small groups in my private studio located near San Marco. Here, you will learn the basics of abstract and representational techniques using acrylic, watercolor and oil. You will also learn how to achieve ultimate color combinations through the use of light, glazing, lost edge, impasto and temperature. We will paint indoor as well as in the garden. I limit my classes to 5 students to ensure a personal touch . 

 

I offer 40 years of experience as a teacher and a professional artist. I have hand crafted a learning environment unlike any other in an intentional space I call the Barn Studio

 

Class Schedule - A series based schedule of four classes for $200.

June

Jun 7 -28 Mon AM       10 am to 1pm Watercolors (FULL Closed to new entries)

                                     2pm -5pm Open Studio all 3 mediums accepted 

Jun 9- 30 Wed AM       10am -1pm Acrylics

                                     2pm Open Studio all 3 mediums accepted 

Jun 10-Jul1 Thurs AM    10am -1 pm Open Studio  all 3 mediums accepted 

                                 2pm-5pm Open Studio  all 3 mediums accepted 

Jun 11-Jul 2 Fri AM      10am- 1pm Jun 1

                                     2pm -5pm

Jun 12 -Jul 3 Sat AM    10am -12pm Kids Class

                                     1pm 2pmOpen Studio  

 

*Must be 7 or older to attend a kids class. Please bring a sketch book.

Some supplies included in kids classes, Adult oil painting and acrylic classes a supply list will be provided

Call  (904)309-0151 to arrange private lessons or discuss dates that may be better to fit your schedule.

 

I hope you will join me in the magic of self expression through art. For more details, please visit my website at www.gordonmeggison.com

 

Reserve Your Space Today!

(904)309-0151

gordonmeggison@att.net 

The Barn Studio is located at 3920 Sierra Madre Dr S.

Jacksonville Fl.,32217 

 

Below: The Gallery area 

New Painting Classes Schedule This Spring

"To translate color of the tropics , the power of the ocean, the bark of a piece of bleached driftwood, the soft light from a sunrise, or the drama of an emotion,these are the things painting can convey like no photograph can."      -Gordon Meggison

Schedules For Acrylics and Oil Classes And Watercolors

 

 

"A Phoenix Rising"

"I hope everyone has made it through this  difficult time, 

with a good healthy creative attitude intact.  I have done a lot of new

paintings that I am excited to share.  Recent events have proved to be a test

for us all, but like the phoenix we are  rising again! Many of us have realigned

our priorities and realized it's time to get on with the soul satisfying activities

that nurture us forever.

Take advantage of this rare opportunity to

be at a class at the original historic location

of Reddi Arts before it's transition in the

summer to it's new location

I will personally assist you through

a set of technical acrylic principles that

will energize and give your paintings

spark and sizzle no matter your style"

-Gordon Meggison

We are limited to 6 students, and it will be

held at the original Hendricks Ave location.

Acrylics ( and Oils if you are so inclined)

Starting Fridays   10:30am-1:30pm

May 14, 21, 28,  June 4, 18

Register as soon as

possible if you want to be a part

of these new art classes!

Call Patty at Reddi Arts

(904) 398-3161 ext 312

to register or patty@reddiarts.com

 

How to get to your  point faster 

for more dramatic impact!

What is covered

Classical Realism Made Easier,

How Abstract Process Painting

and Color Field Techniques Can

Enhance Your Realism,

Unique Wet Into Wet layering

The Power of Negative Space

How to Use Light and Temperature

How to Achieve Color Saturation

Why to Avoid Unnecessary Detail

Tools to Add Layers to Your Art

Avoiding Composition Problems

Why Neutrals are Your Best Friend

How to "See" Through a Subject

 

For Abstract enthusiasts I have a

set of tools and exercises and

techniques to entertain better

ideas faster before you commit huge

amounts of energy to complete

your final masterpiece!

  I can also schedule small classes at my Barn Studio location 

for Oils, Watercolors or Acrylics 

Call (904)309-0151 or email me 

at gordonmeggison@att.net to schedule

 

For Watercolor Enthusiasts !

 

Capture Your New World

Adventure in Watercolor! 

Mondays 10:30am -1:30pm May 10, 17, 24, 31, June 7, 14

"Our priorities have been reset by recent events, our desires have been pent up, we are ready to travel and express ourselves! I can help you keep the interest in watercolor alive. Last spring we had a very productive and fun time working out of doors. Now once more I am excited to coax you out of your caves to socialize, paint with friends and if weather permits we can consider a couple of outdoor sessions. We will begin this new set of 6 classes starting at Reddi Arts in a new bright new space. Then if weather permits we can try one or two outdoor excursions nearby in San Marco or Friendship Park!"

-Gordon Meggison 

A class for Intermediate

and Newcomers alike!

Watercolors is a medium

of adventure and flexibility. It is an ideal

choice if you want freedom to travel and

paint! Past adventures come right back

to life when I look at watercolors from my

travels in Europe. It is also great at home

as a contemplative practice or purely for

fun! We will achieve results and skills

you can put to use immediately!

Register to get join this

6 week watercolor class $195

 

 

 

Call Patty at Reddi Arts to join

(904) 398-3161 x 312 patty@reddiarts.com

We cover watercolor brushes, palettes, brand qualities and best practices.

Brushstrokes- Understanding what your brush can do - how to load the brush, tricks to gauge water and pigment loads,how to get rich sumptuous applications of color.

Color mixing made easy. How to achieve the mix you want using both glazing and mixing processes and understanding values and neutrals. We explore a variety of special effects techniques - scraping, salt, plastic pressing, sponge, wet into wet etc. Creative uses for masking fluid , when and how, best practices. How to use photo based reference , avoiding pitfalls of photos, to achieve optimal results. Composition and planning a picture successfully. How to achieve clouds, water, sea effects, trees, and vibrant flower colors.

I will demo each lesson, so you achieve maximum results in the shortest time.

Materials List:

1st day -tool check, we will make sure you have all the right tools, so you can refine all of this with your questions, No worries, we can walk through and buy them at the opening class, I will help you if you are not confident buying ahead of time.

 

 I can also schedule small classes (3 -4 persons) 

at my Barn Studio location

(3920 Sierra Madre Dr. S. Jax Fl 32217 

 

 for Oils, Watercolors or Acrylics

Call (904)309-0151 or email me 

at gordonmeggison@att.net to schedule

 

NEW! WATERCOLOR CLASSES at Reddi Arts February Schedule 2021

Adventure in Watercolor!  A class for beginners and Intermediate alike. I approach this medium with a sense of adventure and flexibility, it is an ideal choice if you want freedom to paint and travel,  or just use it as a contemplative practice or purely for fun!

Achieve results  and skills you can  put to use immediately!

Schedule Class Dates: Mondays 10:30am -1:30pm  Feb 15, 22, Mar 1, 8, 15, 22
$195.

Reserve your spot

Only be 9 Spots at 9 tables,

1 table per Artist

6 class days, three hours each

Call Patty at 398-3161 ext 312

or email patty@reddiarts.com

We cover watercolor brushes, palettes, brand qualities and best practices.
Brushstrokes- Understanding what your brush can do - how to load the brush, tricks to gauge water and pigment loads,how to get rich sumptuous applications of color.
Color mixing made easy.  How to achieve the mix you want using both glazing and mix process.  I briefly cover understanding values and neutrals.  We explore a variety of special effects techniques - scraping, salt, plastic pressing, sponge, wet into wet etc. Creative uses for masking fluid , when and how, best practices. How to use photo based reference , avoiding pitfalls of photos, to achieve optimal results.  Composition and planning a picture successfully.  How to achieve clouds, water and sea effects, trees, vibrant flower colors.
I will demo each lesson, so you achieve maximum results in the shortest time.
Materials List:
1st day -tool check, we will make sure you have all the right stuff, so you can refine all of this with your questions,   No worries, we can walk through and buy them at the opening class, I will help you if you are not confident buying ahead of time.

Materials List

PAPER:  (BEST): ARCHES Watercolor paper in Arches block form. (10”x14” or bigger)
OR : Single sheets that can be modified in size and taped to a rigid base such as Masonite.
Other brands like Fabriano and others are good- NOTE: NOT Strathmore pads- No!)

Paint - Windsor & Newton PRO GRADE  or Holbein paints (do not buy Cotmans -NO!) :
Colors - Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson (or Opera rose optional), Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine blue, Sap Green, Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Yellow, Indigo
Plastic folding watercolor Palette
Brushes - #12 and #16 Sable (Princeton (best) or Simmons brand ) ,a 1”hake’ brush
Low tack masking tape 1”
Masking fluid -Windsor Newton is best, and a rubber cement eraser (ask about this)
#2 pencil
1 KNEADED eraser
Semi-coarse med grain Kosher salt in a small shaker
Flat 3” X 5” kitchen sponge
WIDE BASE Water Cup such as tupperware for cleaning brushes and water source
Paper towels
A silverware old fashioned butter knife for scraping technique is best
whales tale palette knife small made of metal

 

Join Me at Reddi Arts or for this Winters' classes custom scheduled at my barn studio  

Reserve your spot!

Only be 9 Spots at 9 tables,

1 table per Artist

6 class days, three hours each

Call Patty at 398-3161 ext 312

or email patty@reddiarts.com

 

"How To Energize Your Paintings? Acrylic Workshop Classes at Reddi Arts in February 2021

" It is not enough just to make it look like something.

We live in an energetic world, emotion, life!

To inspire us and make us want to look at a painting over

and over, it must give us something. Energy is that gift." -Gordon Meggison

 

When I first started painting acrylics years ago I just wanted to do a decent painting that looked like something.  Time passed , and the technical difficulties receded with practice, but I found something was missing, a dramatic impact. Many factors go into building a beautiful memorable image. Naturally you don't want to reinvent the wheel, or spend years being frustrated. Another set of eyes and a guiding hand can speed the process up to get you to a more satisfying painting. -Gordon Meggison

"How to Create More Dramatic Impact"

5 Great Techniques will be covered

1.Classical Realism made easier,

2.Abstract Process Painting and Color Field Techniques,

3.Unique Wet into Wet layering

4.The Power of Negative Space

5. How to Use Light and Temperature Effects

How to supercharge your vision

and be to keep you inspired!

at Reddi Arts

I am excited to help you recharge the energy in your pieces, resolve compositional issues fast, build drama into the piece, before the color work even begins. Notan process is surprisingly useful to "get you there fast", while impacting the outcome of your art creating excitement for you and the viewer! I share may other secrets that have variable use and many possibilities they can unlock! We will try abstracts, color field process, and realistic styles with blending and textural techniques during this seminar.

Each person will have a 6 foot table to themselves to maintain distance, and only 6 people will be admitted.

Last Call to register as soon as possible if you want to be a part of these new art secrets classes.

Call Patty at Reddi Arts (904)398-3161 ext 312 to register or patty@reddiarts.com

Consider this unique Winter Schedule: Friday 10:30am Feb 19, 26, Mar 5, 12, 19, 26 $195. Reserve your spot Only be 6 Spots at 6 tables, 1 table per Artist 6 class days, three hours each Call Patty at 398-3161 ext 312 or email patty@reddiarts.com

Acrylic Intermediate and Beginner welcome Class - Taking your skills to the next level! Day 1 We will review each students strengths and experience.   Bring some past work for review so I can gauge what you need to improve your work. I will cover best practices for color blending, creating appealing rich surfaces.  How to reconstruct color fixes and blending into older areas. Using layering and glazing to max effect.  Setting up still life pieces, painting from life.  How to take advantage of “tiling” for more contemporary lively surfaces.  How to achieve texture and enhancing previously textures areas with over scraping and color washes.  How to employ different degrees of depth using a variety of wet in wet techniques and viscosities. Will take requests for custom theme problems, portraits, clouds, landscapes, seascapes, trees etc.  We will also cover how to set up and achieve a non objective and objective abstract .

Below: Crossover abstract and Reality, How to use graphic  spaces, texture, clean bold color, neutrals, and layering to  get depth. We will also cover composition.

Below: Wet in to wet techniques can add freshness, -How to get the most out of wet into wet , the right formula!

contact Patti for the Reddi Arts classes (904) 396-6385) ext 312

Materials List: Paint - Goldens BEST! or Liquitex (NO Poor Quality paint like Basic and No Galleria!) Colors - Large tube of Titanium White, Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson, Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine blue, Sap Green, Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, Cadmium Yellow, Chromium Green Golden glaze medium, and Extender medium “Stays Wet “ resealable palette, a shammy and disposable palette paper are usually included in a new set. Brushes - bright white small 4,6,8 filbert and 4,6,8, square flat tips (I can help choose those day 1)charcoal pack, 1 KNEADED eraser Flat 3” X 5” kitchen sponges2 WIDE BASE Water Cups such as tupperware Paper towels whales tale palette knife small made of metal- buy at Reddi Arts day of class   To examine the blog to see past lessons and posts  of activities I have been doing in oils and acrylics  as well as watercolors.   See older posts for past lessons and step by steps  Blog at   www.gordonmeggison.com  Call me at (904)309-0151,or email me at gordonmeggison@att.net

Below: More of my latest !

"On my website I will be able to share my extensive portfolio of fine art and large wall murals with you." To see some examples go to ... www.gordonmeggison.com

Fall Florida weather Watercolor Plein Air Class

 

"I hope everyone got through this awful time with your sanity. October weather should be a great time to get back out outdoors to renew our creative spirit! Last spring we had a very productive and fun time working out of doors. I am excited to coax you out of your caves now to get back to the land of the living and PAINT!! We will begin this new set of 6 classes at Riverside's beautiful Memorial Park then explore the Riverside area!"

-Gordon Meggison

 

Time to enjoy the Fall Florida weather

Watercolor Plein Air Class

Beginning At Memorial Park

in Riverside, with Gordon Meggison

partnering with Reddi Arts! 

 

Friday mornings 8am to 11am

Oct 2, 9, 16, 23 ,30, Nov 6

or alternately....

Saturday mornings 8:30am - 11:30am

October 3,10,17,24,31 and Nov 7

My demo will be in watercolor because watercolor was originally

designed to be a sketch medium but if you want to tie in to the class I can coach you in acrylics or oils too.

Register to get join this fun plein air class Call Patty at Reddi Arts to join (904) 398-3161 x 312 patty@reddiarts.com,

 

 

 

 

When The Art Is Installed

 

 

It is always a pleasure when a work of art you have done is appreciated 

enough by a client to be purchased, then to see it successfully hung on 

their walls.  This is a hand retouched print that I made from an existing 

image I painting.  The dimensions are slightly different, so I had the 

printer divide the image into three parts as separate prints so that the 

image would be larger than the original.

Here is a view of the original the giclee print was based on:

 

Revisiting Older Paintings

 

 I painted this piece years ago as part of a competition for the 

Jacksonville Jazz event at Metro Park, but unfortunately I didn't 

win the commission.  I turned it up recently and thought it might 

make a good T Shirt design.  I always liked the piece.  It was done 

as an oil. 

What I felt When This All Started in March and April

 

I wanted to reach out to everyone in the middle of this unusual time in which we are thrust.

This event, is a piece of history, and how we cope 

will test our discipline and character.

When this started, like many of you I swamped myself with coronavirus all day all the time, spent on Facebook, and Netflix or television, overeating and under exercising! It was not very productive and ultimately debilitating, and depressing.  All the things I thought I would get done I didn't. After wading thru that bad energy, I finally pulled myself up, and slowly, painfully began to paint. I applaud anyone who was able to get creative sooner, you are obviously of high energy and character. I am too sensitive to outside stimulation, and it caused me some great internal anxiety.  I am telling you this, because many of you are probably experiencing something similar.

This event has become a great disruption to the entire fabric of our lives.  Our habits and pleasures are completely upended.

I did learn however that there is a silver lining to this. I learned that the gift of time here is a blessing, a way to get to know our true selves. It has forced me to redevelop the lost art of introspection and meditation. It also taught me that I make a lot of excuses about time that simply aren't true, that fear and laziness are strong forces. It also made me appreciate the quiet power of time spent in my studio, the pleasure of slowly creating something new and of my self. Breaking from digital media, painting is much more rewarding. It pays dividends over and over for years to come, where much of the digital media we fill time with, is temporal stimulation, is easily forgotten and less satisfying, leading to poor self esteem due to time wasted.

I realized this space suit we call a body, needs care, attention, and has enemies, one a virus, but two our own self destructive natures. Our higher self can be reached through the various arts, which is inherently essential, though lately, not deemed officially so. Try getting through this without the arts! You soon find out how essential they are!!

I realized one day that there is a connection to this virus and art. It requires us to pay attention to detail. To see something unseen, or to see what is actually there, not just what we want to see or thought we saw. We have to make a connection to cause and effect, where we put our hands, and the consequences of those actions. Our connections to society at large has shown us how really connected we are. Like a virus, our ideas, good or bad, can spread, and take hold, influence or infect others. How we think or adhere to higher principles of truth and reality become extraordinarily relevant in this time. I have said to friends, my religion is the "Art of Appreciation". It is through really appreciating the many blessings all around us, a flower, a painting, a friend, light on a tree, a child, a parent, by not taking things for granted, we truly touch spirituality.

I am overcoming the effects of this virus, and have succeeded in mutating it into art, a series of efforts to regain my inner strength. I wish you similar luck with this challenge.

Water Technique: Bypassing the pencil sketch! Oh No!

 By skipping the pencil sketch and going directly at the piece 

with a flat wide sable, you can lightly "ghost" in a drawing in 

paint, then add depth on top of that. It is scary at first but a great 

skill to lend your watercolors a fresher more spontaneous feel. 

Ok it will take practice, but do it, see what you think!

 

    

Tropical Colorfield

I have spent a lot of time doing realistic but occasionally 

I want to explore abstract concepts. Here a brief view of 

the latest abstract and some steps leading up to it. 

Indian River

This is a 36'X48" Oil painting from a fishing trip I took 

on the Indian River near Titusville Florida.  It is two fast 

layers of rich sumptuous oil paint done rapidly wet into wet.