Description:

With professional painter, Melanie Barash Levitt

In this weekend outdoor oil painting workshop, the focus will be how to paint an entire painting with only a palette knife to create interesting marks, texture and a dynamic composition. (brushes can also be used) Through demonstration and individual attention in oils, students will learn how to distill the important information from their observation and translate it onto the canvas. Melanie will also address the importance of sketching/composition, how to create depth & light in a painting,  color mixing, mark making, and other tips for painting outdoors.

All this will be taught in an understandable step by step process which will lead students to improve their ability to see the landscape and create a finished painting in a short time. This class is suitable for the beginner or the intermediate student who want to loosen up and learn how to paint with a palette knife. Students will complete at least one painting each day. We rent out a limited number of French plein air easels for an additional $35 for the weekend.  We will work with a very limited palette of paints and students will be responsible for bringing their own supplies. (see list below) Locations TBD .

Sat & Sun, August 20 & 21, 10am-4pm, $295 (This class is also open to high school students)

*No rain date- in case of inclement weather we will paint under cover or in the studio

Cancellation Policy: We ask that you to give us three weeks notice if you need to cancel for a full refund minus a $20 cancellation fee. Cancellations should be made by phone by calling (603) 387-3463. This provides us the opportunity to fill the space. We are sorry, but we cannot give refunds or issue credits for missed classes or no shows.  

Private & semi-private sessions are also available. (please inquire)

Please Wear or Bring:

-Sturdy sneakers or hiking shoes

-Dress in layers and bring clothes for warm and cool weather

-Raincoat

-Bug Spray

-Sunblock

-Lunch

-Plenty of water

-Sunhat with a big rim or baseball hat

ART SUPPLIES: (Alot can be purchased at Michaels or online at Dick Blick)

-Sketchbook & soft drawing pencils or charcoal pencils

-I prefer panels to stretched canvases for palette knife to have a hard surface. I use Ampersand Archival board but you can use any smooth surface board. Bring 3-4 panels total,  size 12x16" is good. A little smaller or bigger is fine too,

-Plein air easel (french easel, pochade box etc) You can also rent a French Easel  for $35. Toggle when registering to select that option

-Optional: Easel Umbrella to block sun

-Oil paints: Limited Palette of a warm & cool of each primary color (I use Gamblin oil paints-they sell them at Michaels. If using acrylics try Open Acrylics so they don't dry too quickly) Suggested Colors: Titanium white, Ultramarine Blue, Pthalo Blue,  Cad yellow light or lemon yellow, Cad Yellow Medium, Cad Red, Alizeran Crimson.

-Variety of brushes (I use flats/brights size 2,4,6,8) Bring what you have

--Palette knife- bent neck and long pointed tip.  Bring a few variations if you like

-Brush washer and oderless turpentine (Gamasol recommended)

-Rags or paper towels

-Palette to mix on

-plastic bag for trash

Melanie Barash Levitt graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1990. She currently lives in the White Mountains of NH and is the owner of Jackson Art Studio & Gallery.Melanie is an award winning artist who paints in a loose, impressionistic style with a brush or a palette knife in oils. As a plein air artist, Levitt paints on location braving the elements to capture the mood of the scene. Her favorite subjects are the mountains, rivers and small farms of NH and the rugged coasts of Maine. Her artwork resides is in the home of many collectors through the US, Canada and Europe. She exhibits her work in galleries and shows throughout NH, ME, VT and NY. She has been featured in Boston Chronicle (WCBV TV, ABC), NH Chronicle (WMUR 9), and has been published in various newspapers and magazines . She also has received numerous awards for her paintings in regional shows and juried events and is a member of the Salmagundi Art Club in NYC.