Don't Hold Back

2-3 Day Workshop
Using the intuitive painting process to find your voice

We’ve been conditioned to think art is about developing technique or natural born ability...but I say “bullshit!” I believe art is about tapping into the human soul and awakening the freedom to be comfortable with our own marks, our unique placement of shape, our use of color and then connecting the parts instinctively into a whole.

It is not enough to be an intuitive painter. Artists use the intuitive process beyond the mark to tell their stories, but first we must embrace the pieces of our untethered artistic soul. 

Develop your artistic instincts. Trust the instinctual process of allowing what’s inside of you to come out by embracing the intuitive mark-making that is in your heart without any thought. Lean into the fear of letting go or expectations and allow your painting to evolve based on pure emotion. Embrace what you do and never question anything about it.  There is no analysis, judgement, or do overs, in intuitive painting. There is no discipline or thought necessary. It is your gut, heart, and soul talking, not your brain.

Students will learn to work in acrylic layers across a large canvas as Donna shares tips for building a stronger working knowledge of color blending transitional layers while experimenting with tools, textures and shape. Begin to confidently use the surface as your narrative and paint what feels right...allow your story to unfold naturally.

 Supplies:

• 1 large canvas (30" or larger)
• Additional substrate (this could be paper, journal or additional canvas of any size. We will use this to create what I refer to as a “cast off” painting (if time allows) from the left over bits from the first painting.
• studio easel
• A variety of favorite fluid and heavy body acrylic paints 
• Marabu acrylic spray paint (i like black but any color is fun)
• 1 or 2 collage papers
• white gesso
• small and large brushes
• stencils
• fun mark making tools (for example: palette knife, wedges, spatula, scrapers)
• baby wipes
• paper towels
• brush bucket/water bucket
• palette paper and/or sta-wet palette
• spray bottle
• apron

 

The Art of Destruction

1-Day Workshop

Black & White Experiments in Abstracted Contrast

The Art of Destruction embraces the beauty in the broken. Challenges the creative process to find an alternative path and encourages the artist to make new decisions that abandon expectation.  

Over the years my style has changed, many of you were right there changing courses with me, but my art did not evolve until I changed my thinking. I did not want to let fear stop me in my creative process so I taught myself to walk straight through the fire of doubt and lean into the process. I learned to break the habit of creative submission and embraced the Art of Destruction. 

In this workshop we will use black and white elements of contrast to define space and variations of broken lines to make connections. The process is simple...paint, destroy, repeat. I will share with you how breaking free of barriers can open your creativity to more possibilities.

• Put an end to overthinking and overworking
• Take back your creative power by permission to change course.
• Experiment with the ideas, tools & medias that helped me break the cycle of expectation over expression
• Identify the “why” and the “what” that is stopping your creative success

You have the power to change the course of your work through embracing the art of destruction and I want to help make incorporating a looser and freer movement into your style.

Supplies:

• 8x10 or larger framed canvas. (search your attic or Goodwill for a frame) however this project is not dependent on a frame it is totally optional. If choosing to opt out of the frame size up to an 11x14 canvas.
• Mixed-media or watercolor weight paper or journal. Any size or orientation.
• Carbon black Heavy body & fluid Acrylic
• Bone Black heavy body & fluid acrylic
• Titanium White Heavy Body Acrylic
• Parchment (liquitex) or Titan Buff (Golden) Heavy Body Acrylic
• gesso
• Black pen (this is my FAVORITE BIC Cristal Xtra Bold Ballpoint Stick Pen, Black Ink
• Stabilo-All Pencils in black, white & red
• 1 or 2 favorite stamps (foam stamps work best) and stencils 
• Collage bits (possible ideas: book text, washi tapes, maps, fabric scraps junk mail, etc)
• Favorite paint brushes
• A couple fun objects of art destruction, lol (possible ideas: palette knife, brayer, old gift card, catalyst wedge or tools, scrapers, etc)
• Painters tape or masking tape
• Matte medium or adhesive
• Brush bucket for water
• Baby wipes
• Paper towels

 

The Vibrant & Colorful Painter

1-2 Day Workshops

Expressive Figures

1 -3 Day Workshops

Description:

Rendering the human figure is both vulnerable and intrinsically beautiful.  You will learn to paint the movements of the body and explore expressive intentions and emotions through each mark of color. Your paintings will evoke a powerful, dreamlike quality.

My personal style is to render the body in abstracted block of colors and bold brushwork. The figures emerge as broken, but beautifully constructed and expressively raw.

• Complete 1-3 figurative paintings.
• At least 2-3 reference photos to paint from. 
• This workshop can be done in acrylics or oils (or both)
• We will not be striving for realism, but focussing on the expressive quality of painting the figure.
• We will explore paint colors, skin tones and color mixing.
• Elements of composition.
• Using a grid to establish proportion.
• Defining the body through shadow and light.
• Highlighting the stylistic differences each artist brings to their own painting.

Students will need to bring the following supplies:

• One to four 18x24 or larger canvases
• Paint colors (Either Acrylic or Oil)
• Titanium White
• Raw Umber  
• Burnt Umber
• Yellow Ochre
• Cadmium Red or Pyrrol Red
• A variety of  flesh tones in pinks & yellows, OR otherwise we will mix our own
• Princeton Catalyst Silicone wedge, #6
• Princeton Catalyst mini blades #1, #2 or #6
• Paintbrushes.  I like a size 4 or 6. Maybe a detail round size 2, but I always recommend using what you have on hand and not buying anything new for the workshop.
• If painting in Acrylic:
• Water bucket to clean brushes
• Paper towels and/or baby wipes
• Golden OPEN acrylic medium (optional, but this keeps your paint workable and easier to blend longer)
• Sta-wet palette
• Palette knife for mixing colors
• If painting in Oil:
• Brush washer
• Gamsol
• Palette
• Paper towels
• Gloves (optional)
• Oil medium (optional. I like Gamblin Alklyd)
• Tabletop easel if preferred (optional)

Note: My favorite oil paint colors are from Charvin. (I like any yellows, pinks or tans, yummy!)

Simplified Portrait

 

Description:

One of the most magical discoveries I have experienced as an artist is that, "I can paint faces!!" These were the exact words that escaped in excitement when I finished my first portrait. Since painting that portrait, I have not only seen my portrait work grow beyond my own personal artistic boundaries, but I have also gained a more expressive quality and voice in my work. Exploring this new expressive approach to my art, I can directly attribute much of that growth to simplifying my portrait painting process.

I designed this class for all levels from the very beginner to the practiced artist. Although we will work together in establishing some basic portrait basics, we will not draw a single line!  NO DRAWING NEEDED. We will be painters, enjoying the art of the painted portrait without measuring and technical mumbo jumbo that only confuses the joy of painting.

• Complete 2-6 Simplified Portraits.
• We will work from the same image provided for first piece and then an individualized image (student choice) for additional pieces.
• This workshop can be done in acrylics or oils (or both).
• We will not be striving for realism, instead focussing on the expressive quality of portraiture.
• We will explore paint colors, skin tones and color mixing.
• Elements of the face and how they apply to facial expressions.
• Portraits from different perspectives.
• Defining the face through shadow and light.
• Highlighting the stylistic differences each artist brings to their own painting. 

Students will need to bring the following supplies:

• Two to four 9x12 or larger canvases (pre-primed with a coat of inexpensive red acrylic paint)
• Any color red, inexpensive acrylic paint to prime canvas
• Paint colors (Either acrylic or oil)
• Titanium White
• Raw Umber or Burnt Umber
• Yellow Ochre
• Cadmium or Pyrrole Red
• Paintbrushes.  I like a size 4, 6 and/or 8 Filbert. Maybe a detail round size 2, but I always recommend using what you have on hand and not buying anything new for the workshop.
• At least one reference photo to paint from. Some tips for choosing a photo:
• Image should be a simple headshot, sometimes it helps to have a B&W and color version to reference.  If you crop the photo to 3x4 and then print it to “fit the page” the dimensions will be correct to work from.
• If painting in Acrylic:
• Water bucket to clean brushes
• Paper towels and/or baby wipes
• Golden OPEN acrylic medium (optional, but this keeps your paint workable and easier to blend longer)
• Sta-wet palette
• Palette knife for mixing colors
• If painting in Oil:
• Brush washer
• Gamsol
• Palette
• Paper towels
• Gloves (optional)
• Oil medium (optional. I like Gamblin Alklyd)
• Tabletop easel if preferred (optional)