“The outside world and how it’s brought to life on canvas”

This workshop with Denise will be held in the gallery. Bringing her Plein Air sensibility into a studio setting. Denise will be bringing a photo to work from for participants. You will discuss how photos lie and how it is important to do both plein air and studio work, and how both practices help the other. She will start by doing a quick demo, first creating the underpainting using burnt umber. You  will talk about values and how they do all the work, while colour gets all the glory.Colour will then be added over our underpainting. You will talk about glazes and how they are used to add a glow to your work. Denise will be available for all your painting and Plein Air or Studio painting questions.

Workshop Material list

Please bring the following materials. You are welcome to paint in either Oil or Acrylic. Denise will be painting in oils. Some of the following supplies are not needed if you are going to be using acrylic paint.

• Paint
• Odourless mineral spirits for cleanup in brush cleaner (oil)
• Soap to wash brushes (oil)
• OMS and linseed oil if you use as medium (oil)
• Brushes, what you prefer – rounds, flats, riggers etc.
• Palette knife
• Q-tips, or/and nail tees which are sharper ended q-tips.
• Sketchbook and pencils if you do thumbnails (not required)
• Painting panels – Denise uses Belgian linen. You can also get cotton. Canvas board or wood panels.
• Table top or standing easel (the gallery has some available so reach out if you do not have one)

Suggested sizes: 9″ x 12″, 11” x 14”. It is easier to start small but you can go larger if you want. 

It would be helpful to tone your panels with transparent oxide red (light so it is peach colour), transparent oxide yellow or a burnt umber ultramarine mix for a neutral grey before the workshop. Transparent oxide red is a great colour because it complements green for that pop.

Paint colours

• Ultramarine blue (Rembrandt)
• Burnt Umber (Rembrandt)
• Titanium white
• Cadmium yellow light
• Brown madder (Rembrandt) or Alizarin crimson
• Sap Green (Rembrandt)
• Can also bring favourite colours. I may bring yellow ochre, violet grey. 

Most of all bring your imagination and sense of fun! It’s going to be great!