Just to revisit some goals of the workshop, here is one more photo of student work. Most of us did the gray scale exercise in 10 steps. Artist Ruza Bagaric got so fascinated by the gray scale she tried to find as many value steps as time allowed. I think I see 36 steps here. Such thoroughness pays off in increased visual sensitivity and accuracy.
Many of us accompanied instructor Graydon Parrish to the Metropolitan Museum to look at paintings, with special attention to the 19th century. Here Graydon and students view Rosa Bonheur's terrific painting of the Paris Horse Market. We are taking in the excitement and energy of this work, and also appreciating Bonheur's masterly use of value, hue, and chroma.
We all admired this large painting of St Joan by Bastien LePage. He has created an other-worldly, magical space by keeping value and chroma almost constant. The mood is set by the subtle changes of hue, while the very few high value notes draw our eyes to her transfixed face.
We took a close look at this stunning small piece by Jean Leon Gerome, for his daring use of high chroma blue in the sky. Most of us learn to downplay the sky color in our landscapes. Gerome's color harmonies, tight composition, and dramatic variations of value result in a completely believable scene of heat, action and sunlight.If you are interested in the craft and theory of classical painting, you might enjoy the video of a lecture entitled, "Technique as Influence: The Painter's Odyssey of Craft and Communication" by Graydon Parrish at this link.
To view a lecture by Graydon Parrish on his recent monumental painting commemorating the 9/11 tragedy, go to this link.
And now, friends, you will not hear from me for another few weeks. I am about to go on my yearly artist trip to Denali National Park. This time I plan to spend some time doing drawings and making some color notes (using the Munsell system), though I also plan to complete a few paintings while I am there. Here's hoping for fine weather!
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