Last weekend I spent an enjoyable three days with artists learning in my studio. I taught value relationships and painting composition. Value refers to the light and dark areas in a composition. We spent the first day painting a projected image in shades of gray. Then artists worked on their own chosen image in a gray scale.

At the start of the second day, I presented some composition motifs to be considered when artists chose a subject to paint.  Artists began another painting and worked to mix color to match value and subject.  One project was to make several colors of the same value, not as easy as it sounds. That evening, after the artists left, with their setups still in the studio, I took this photo of their work.

On the third day, we worked from life using a still life . Pears, Persimmons, Lemons and flowers available during this season filled out the arrangement. Warming up with a few objects was a fun way to start the day. At the end of the three days, we were all tired from intense concentration and decision making, but it was a good tired. Lots learned and shared.

Join me this summer at the Santa Cruz Art League, where I will be teaching a workshop focused on color and atmospheric perspective. (Exact date still to be determined.)