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Outline for the Week

So you’re thinking of registering but you’re not quite sure what to expect. You are not alone. Whether this is your first plein air workshop or you have attended workshops elsewhere, you are bound to have questions about how ours is organized. Below is a summary of what to expect during your week with us.

 

Day 1: The first morning we’ll all meet at the studio in the lower level of St. Paul's Church in Thornbury (see the map on the About Us page).   You will register, receive an information package, meet the rest of your class, your instructor and the workshop coordinators. You will have received maps to the painting sites, waiver forms and other materials in advance of your course.  If you are unable to receive e-mails you should talk to your coordinator about getting print copies . Your instructor will tell you how the week is likely to unfold. Each instructor runs his/her workshop slightly differently and chooses the sites to visit that week. Certainly, the weather forecast will help decide whether a day will be spent painting outdoors or in the studio.

 

Welcome Reception : On the first day of the course we will be hosting a welcome reception right after class at the L.E.Shore Library in Thornbury to thank you for participating and to give you the opportunity to mingle with your fellow students and get to know them better.   .

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Days 2–5 Set-up for classes normally begins at 9.00 am and, if it is a plein air day, you can travel directly to the site. You’ll have a map and the coordinators’ phone numbers in case you are having trouble finding a particular location or if questions or problems crop up. All locations are within a 10 to 20 min drive of the studio.

 

You should bring a folding chair/stool, easel, painting supplies, drinking water and paint water (in case there is not a supply on-site), sun screen, bug repellent, sun hat and anything else you might take when spending the day outside.

 

Each instructor supplies a list of necessary painting materials and this list is sent to you upon registration and can be found on the Homepage under Material List for each artist.

 

Each morning, your instructor describes the focus of the lesson and demonstrates by painting the chosen scene. Following the demonstration there is ample time for you to paint and receive one-on-one time with your instructor. Depending on the complexity of the subject matter, there may be a morning session on one subject and an afternoon session on another at the same site. Time is set aside during the day for the instructor to discuss the paintings with the group and offer critiques. Classes normally wrap-up by 4 p.m.  

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Because we limit our workshops to 20 students, one-on-one time with the instructor allows for a broad range of styles and levels of experience to come together, promoting robust and valuable group discussion and questions during our end-of-day critique session. You will find it gives you lots of opportunity to bounce ideas off other students as you paint.

 

The Result Our goal is to offer you an enjoyable workshop in which you feel comfortable, can paint at your own pace, interpret the landscape in your own way, try new techniques and receive constructive feedback that will help you master the art of plein air painting.