Premier Creative Workshops at the Landgrove Inn

Having taught for many years both at the University level and in the workshop environment I've been able to put together a formula that will show you my process in full detail. My first goal is to make you comfortable. This is your time and I am there to support that. For most people painting is a private process, doing so in a more public environment can create an anxious mind. I tend to try and keep things calm and will encourage you to let go of the fear of performance and embrace the act of creation in a relaxed environment.

When working from life or photography my goal in every scene is to ask myself why I chose the subject and how do I convey that idea on paper. I start by breaking a scene down into its major elements and then allow myself the freedom to reorganize and adjust for as strong a composition as possible. I build on this using thumbnail sketches where I "play" with different versions of the scene. Once I am settled on a workable idea I begin the process of building the scene. I am known for saying a couple of things. First- never let reality get in the way of a good painting. Second- do not let a pencil line tell you where to put your brush. Thinking this way takes a little pressure off of the need to perform well from the start. We are so very good at seeing the bad things in our paintings and terrible at noticing the good bits. I want to show you how to avoid that distraction and plan a painting so that you understand as much as you can before starting in with paint. 

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