Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Jim Hempel Plein Air workshops 7/29

I'll be offering two more outdoor Plein Air painting workshops on the East Side on
Friday, July 29th. The first is a daylong, from 10AM- 4PM.
The second will a night plein air painting workshop along Downer Avenue from 7:30-11:00PM.
It will be a great day filled with painting and learning. Choose to participate in one or the other, or both. The workshop fee for each is $50.


The meeting/painting location for my plein air workshop on July 29th starting at 10 AM will be the south end of Terrace Ave. The park there is the southern tip of Lake Park on top of the bluff overlooking downtown and the lake & marina below. From there you can paint Villa Terrace, the houses/gardens on Terrace, Northpoint Water Tower, trees/playground in the park, or the sweeping park views of the lake, marina and downtown. If you Mapquest Villa Terrace you can get a good look at the exact location.
The meeting spot for the Downer Ave. plein air night painting session beginning at 7:30PM will be the awnings of the bank directly across the street from the Downer Theater.


Here are the basics:
A small pull cart is handy for getting your portable easel and painting gear to a spot where you wish to paint. I have one extra. Let me know if you would like to borrow it ahead of time and I can bring it along for you. I also have 2 extra French easels if you would like to participate, but do not yet own a suitable easel for plein air painting.

The needed materials for the day will be as follows: portable easel, paints, odorless mineral spirits, paper toweling, canvas boards (at least 2 small to medium size), garbage bag to keep things tidy, bag lunch, beverage, hat, jacket, sunblock, etc. If you have an umbrella for your easel it is helpful for bright days or light sprinkles, but not at all necessary. If it's bright and you wish to paint in the shade there are plenty of trees as well as sheltered areas.

I'm planning on having us accomplish 2 different paintings/scenes for the day. One in the morning, and one in the afternoon. During the course of the day I will demonstrate, critique, teach you about color mixing for the plein air palette, how capture immediacy in plein air landscapes, as well as paint alongside you. I'll demonstrate while you eat your lunch, so you can maximize your painting time in the morning and afternoon. We will wrap up at about 4:00PM, but I am amenable to go later if people have the interest and enthusiasm beyond that time frame. Then after a break for dinner, I'll reconvene on Downer with those who wish to enjoy the cool quiet stillness of painting lit street scenes by dusk and night. The Downer Theater with all of it's neon, marquee lights, posters and people has been a favorite thing to paint, but there are interior lit boutiques, bakeries, restaurants, patio dining, Ace hardware, Lixx custard and many other shop windows and subjects to paint along a short 2 block area.

Just let me know by reply to this e-mail if you plan to join us. We are going to have a great day of painting!

James Hempel jwhempel@hotmail.com