Glasgow Boys – A Scottish Art Rebellion
Their work, like other contemporaries around Europe, rejected traditional art styles and subjects and thrust the art scene into modernism. Like their counterparts on the Continent, these artists were ready to try something fresh and new when it came to painting.
Yellow Ochre Lifted from Nature’s Palette
Yellow ochre is a naturally mined pigment used by artists everywhere. One of the must-see villages in Provence is Rousillon, where this multi-hued pigment was mined. You see it as orange, pink, and red on the walls of all houses and the red rock faces for the surrounding hills.
From Train Station to World Class Art Museum: Musée D’Orsay
From a train station to a world-class art museum, the Musée d’Orsay is the top choice for artists who want to view magnificent French art. The Musée D’Orsay has a fascinating history which began as a train station built of steel and glass and became a world-class art museum.
Art Scholarships for 2021 – Residency in France
We offer a scholarship opportunity to an artist who is actively pursuing future art goals: this full scholarship will be awarded to one of our exclusive workshops or retreats. Although it is not specifically designed for a younger recipient, we are interested in inspiring the next generation of artists to paint and pursue lives as working artists.
Sorolla at the Hôtel de Caumont, Aix-en-Provence
For anyone attending one of our two Lavender Art Retreats near Aix-en-Provence this summer, there will be an extra special added event: the Hôtel de Caumont Art Centre in Aix-en-Provence will be presenting an exhibition of the Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla, entitled Joaquin Sorolla, Spanish Lights.
Meet The Artists of Americans in Paris Paint Provence
Americans in Paris Paint Province was conceived to be a unique and historical, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in a Château workshop with these five leading artists of our time. This workshop is a confluence of art, artists and learning that will take place September 27-October 6, 2020. It is a continuing program created by artist, writer and curator, Vanessa Rothe of Vanessa Rothe Fine Art and Workshops in France. Let’s meet these artists up close and personal! Casey Childs “My interest in the people around me comes from the idea that we look at people every day, but we never really stop to SEE them.” As artists, we can all take a lesson from this insightful statement made by Casey Childs, one of five leading artists of our time participating in our 2020 workshop Americans in Paris Paint Provence. Casey goes on to say, “The goal of my portrait work is to capture the soul of the individual–not just their likeness.” It’s certainly no surprise that Casey is an award-winning painter of figurative and portrait work, featured in galleries all across America and in many art publications. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn more from Casey’s points of view, observations and techniques—from Casey himself. Sign up here for the Americans in Paris Paint Provence Workshops 2020. Spaces are limited. Michelle Dunaway As any artist knows, there are compliments, and then there are compliments that have a deep, everlasting effect on our souls. Michelle Dunaway who, like all of us, has long admired the work of portrait legend John Singer Sargent, received such a compliment following her painting demonstration at the 2015 Portrait Society conference. Richard Ormond, Sargent’s grand-nephew, who had been in the audience for the demonstration, came up to Michelle afterward and said, “I have spent most of my life concerned about preserving the legacy of Sargent’s painting, but after watching you paint I am no longer worried.” Michelle is an internationally exhibited and published artist, who can list among her many accomplishments several commissioned portraits of famed actress Jane Seymour. Michelle is teaching at only a handful of places in the coming years since she is working on some big projects that require extensive studio time, but you have the opportunity of learning from her by signing up for our workshop, Americans in Paris Paint Provence 2020. Sign up here. Space is limited. David Gray You wouldn’t know it to see his breathtaking portrait work, but world-renowned portrait painter David Gray often finds himself ready to paint, but has failed to line up a model. It’s no problem—he simply turns to his own family. His daughter Lauren appears in an astounding painting entitled Blue Turban. He has also utilized his son Forest and his wife Jessica. No matter who is before him, he sees a quality in them well beyond the physical. “I’m not simply a ‘Realist’,” David says. “I find in my best work, my subjects hover somewhere between the visible natural realm and some place divine…” David has won many awards and has been published in major art publications, and his workshops are highly sought-after. He’ll be one of five artists teaching at our workshop. His focus will be on portraiture. Sign up here for the Americans in Paris Paint Provence Workshops 2020. Spaces are limited. Olga Krimon “I take reality, I absorb it through the mill of my experiences and schooling, And then I produce a new carefully designed reality that evokes feelings and memories. This reality takes abstraction of strokes, edges, values and color relationships, and morphs them into a world that I imagined, that affects a viewer on a level deeper than words.” Anyone who has had the the serious pleasure of observing the paintings of world-renowned figure and still-life artist Olga Krimon will attest that she most certainly attains this ideal, again and again. Her paintings have been recognized with awards by the Portrait Society of America, Oil Painters of America and Art Renewal Center International Salon Competition. Olga is one of five leading artists of our time participating in our workshop Americans in Paris Paint Provence 2020. Sign up here for the Americans in Paris Paint Provence Workshops 2020. Spaces are limited. Vanessa Françoise Rothe You’ve probably heard by now of our upcoming once-in-a-lifetime workshop Americans In Paris Paint Provence. What you may not know is that Americans in Paris is actually the brainchild of world-renowned painter, author, designer and art curator Vanessa Françoise Rothe. The workshop is being presented by Vanessa in partnership with Workshops in France. Vanessa said that her inspiration for Americans in Paris “started out with the initial idea to inspire some of the American artists of today to travel to Paris where so many great artists had gained inspiration through the ages.” Vanessa is an art curator, writer and owns Vanessa Rothe Fine Art Gallery. She is one of five leading artists of our time participating in our workshop Americans in Paris Paint Provence 2020. Sign up here for the Americans in Paris Paint Provence Workshop, September 27 – October 6 2020. Spaces are limited. Learn more about Americans in Paris Paint Provence and sign up here. Ready to register? Sign up now!
Review: ArtTools App for Plein Air Painting.
Time is of the essence for the plein air painter.
When you’re painting outdoors and trying to get something down on canvas, time is precious. From the moment you set out that day, you’re battling the sun’s movement across the sky. Anything that can save you time is fantastic…
What to Bring on Plein Air Trip. Besides Your Painting Supplies.
As far as actual painting supplies go, there are many lists of what to take when plein air painting. Just Google them. Over the past 10 years of delivering plein air workshops and after 1000s of paintings outdoors, we have discovered there are other things that can save the day which might not be obvious and are not on everyone’s list. In addition to painting gear, what else qualifies as handy, timesaving and essential to your painting enjoyment? Some may consider these superfluous, especially if weight and distance are real factors—but bear in mind we do bring our guests as close as possible to painting locations to avoid such burdens. Some of our recommendations are: 1. Multi-tool Very handy when you cannot unscrew that lid off a tube of paint. Or you wish you had a pair of scissors. Or your French easel’s wing nuts need an extra torque. 2. Spring Clips Clip canvas to a board, provide extra security for your umbrella, or clamp on a holder to support the handle of your solvent wash tank. 3. Collapsible Cups This is for, um, drinking. Just watch what you drink when you paint (just sayin’). If your paint is water-based, such an item is an obvious space saver to hold water. 4. Water Okay, this is probably on every list—as it should be every time you go and paint anywhere. Dehydration can completely ruin your efforts. We do provide bottles of water for guests in our workshops, but just to be ecological we encourage them to refill bottles from the tap. The water at the various chateaux is fine (you can even find the same water bottled, labeled and sold in the village). 5. Bear Spray Yep, you read that right. The contributor of this tip says “I always carry it if I’m painting alone (I’ve had a few creepy incidents and feel safer with it). I’d recommend it for anyone painting alone, especially in a remote location. Sometimes we can get so immersed in our work that we aren’t alert to potential dangers. It’s similar to pepper spray but not designed to debilitate bears, so it’s not as strong as pepper spray. It is designed to deter and stop a charging bear.” 6. Your Smartphone Maybe this is a redundant point—do we ever go anywhere without it? But nowadays it’s become the go-to tool. Its camera is the most ubiquitous tool—you can take reference photos, convert them to black and white to see the values in the scene. iPhones have a compass, so you can track the movement of the sun and decide where to set up in relation to this important piece of information. You can set a timer, tell the time, text a friend, send for back-up, play music, make or dictate notes. Geo-tag your photos so in the future you can return to that exact same spot. 7. Baby Wipes Baby wipes are great to have on you for so many reasons. Spills, drips and splashes – wipes to the rescue. Let’s face it, art is messy. But we have also used baby wipes to clean brushes, they clean them so much better than paper towels. Once you try them, you will probably never go back to paper towels. 8. Bug Spray If you’re me, you cannot leave without it. I am irresistible to mosquitoes and the like. If you stand next to me, you’ll probably not need any, as the mosquitoes will be seeking me. I spray my exposed limbs, my shoes and my hat. I often use natural repellents that are heavy on citronella. It has a strong smell—sorry, but it works. 9. Nitrile Disposable Gloves Even if you don’t wear gloves to paint, these are great to have anyway. If you have to tackle anything you’d rather not handle because it’s dirty, use the gloves. Emptying garbage, pumping gas, cleaning you palette, wiping down your equipment is always easier if you don’t get your hands dirty. And they take up next to no room. 10. Carabiner A carabiner can serve to suspend a solvent wash tank. It can be used to suspend a weight to hold your easel steady in the wind—just fill your backpack or your garbage bag with a few rocks and hang it from the center of your easel. Then, after you’re done you can use it to clip your solvent tank or trash bag to the outside of your backpack. Region Specific You may need to bring very specific supplies depending on where you paint. For example, in certain zones you may need to worry about snakes. If you’re painting in Northwest Europe, you have to think about rain gear. If you are very far north you may need additives to prevent your paint from freezing. Good luck and happy painting! Thanks so much to Jane Hunt, Celeste De Coudres and Fallon Peper for their input. Blogger: Julie Snyder Julie Snyder is a professional artist and also the programs director of Workshops In France. A native of Scotland, she is a seasoned traveler who splits her time between California and France. You can learn more about her role with Workshops in France here.
Instagram for Artists
Why on Earth Should Artists be on Instagram? You are? Good for you! No? You may have your reasons.
Whatever the situation, you should understand why the platform is really a gift for artists. And it’s easily the best use of time and energy on social media.
Ultramarine Blue and its Adoring Artists
Look in your paint box and you’ll no doubt find Ultramarine Blue, the most widely sold color after white. Artists have adored this blue pigment for millennia. We forget sometimes that paint is simply ground up minerals mixed with a binder. In the case of Ultramarine, this rich pigment has a wonderful history.