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I’m not sure I’m really ready to make a report on my first ever 4 day workshop…………..but ready or not, I will. As mentioned at one point earlier, I felt like I’d jumped off a bridge when I agreed to do a workshop. If you know me, you know I don’t take responsibilities lightly. I used to always worry myself into either being over–prepared or I just would not commit. Sometime in the past decade, I have mellowed a little…. I figured I would give it a shot, so I said yes when Cecie Borschow at Artist’s Showplace Gallery and Studio lofts in Dallas asked me to do this last fall. HA HA…. So I told her I hadn’t a clue what to call this workshop but it would be about Process and Abstraction. It would be using acrylic on canvas or at least large paper. Hence, Abstract: THE PROCESS.
SO……….waiting to see if it ‘made’ or not, I decided not to worry too much too soon. Well, what do you know, it made. I had a brief outline of what I might cover. Then I went out of town for the Fifth Annual Encaustic Conference. I came home and promptly got sick with two weeks to go before the workshop. SO…. no time to worry then either, huh.
I did what I do when I paint…. after all this workshop is about the process and of the kinds of processes abstract painters might use. I was intuitive in what I would cover other than the outline. I would have to evaluate as I went what the attendees wanted and what level they were on when it came to painting abstractly. There are so MANY different processes and products obtained from the processes……and I wanted them to use theirs, and not mine. I did demo every morning since if they didn’t like what I do, they would not have signed up………..and we all talked about our work. I asked questions, they asked questions. I hope I brought a little enlightenment in to what processes I use and that they took away at least one thing that will be an ‘aha’ moment for them.
This was an enormously rewarding experience for me and I hope it was for the eighteen people who attended.
Thank you to Nancy Johnson Standlee for sending me some pictures of the workshop. If others have some, let me know……….I would also love to see the work you finished up after the workshop.
And it was a terrific workshop! I learned so much in both technique and process. I enjoyed it immensely. I didn’t end up painting like Cheryl as I had hoped, but I did learn to paint in a new way which is great!
Thank you, Cheryl and all the participants who so freely shared their skills and knowledge. I really appreciate it.
Libby
Glad to see you found a use for the photos. It was a great 4 day painting workshop and I heard several times “look at all the individual work.. we all have seen the demo and then go back and paint with our own marks”. Thanks for sharing with us “your process” and your supply list and for introducing me to the “Egbert”. Your abstract paintings are lovely and I can see why you were nominated for the Hunting Art Prize. Since the workshop I feel I’ve gotten to know you better through your wonderful Johnson Creek Blog. I think a good workshop instructor inspires the students to take a second or third workshop…where do I sign up?
Oh… thank you so much for this comment, Nancy. Although very enjoyable, I probably will only teach a workshop once in a while. I am so happy that everyone did make their own marks….Those are the only ones you want.