Monhegan Island Maine
This plein air workshop will be 3 days of instructor demo’s with individual instruction throughout the day, followed by two days of individual painting anywhere on the island with critique sessions each afternoon at 4:30 PM. After Friday's critique, we will hold a drawing for one of David's 9x12 original Monhegan paintings.
Five Day Schedule
We will begin the workshop week on Sunday August 1st with our traditional meet and greet gathering at 7:45 PM. We can drink a glass of wine and toast the Monhegan sunset as its happening. Monhegan Island is known for spectacular sunsets.
SUNDAY
7:45 - 8:15 PM Meet and Greet
MONDAY
8:45 - 9:00 Arrive at painting location
9:00 - 10:30 Lecture and demo
10:30 - 1:00 Paint on Location
1:00 - 1:30 Lunch Break
1:30 - 4:00 Paint on location
TUESDAY
8:45 - 9:00 Arrive at painting location
9:00 - 10:30 Lecture and demo
10:30 - 1:00 Paint on Location
1:00 - 1:30 Lunch Break
1:30 - 4:00 Paint on location
7:00 - 8:30 Group dinner at the Monhegan House.
WEDNESDAY
8:45 - 9:00 Arrive at painting location
9:00 - 11:30 Dueling Demos (David & Pam) Students are encouraged to paint nearby if they desire. You can paint and watch part of the demos too. There is a wonderful energy that develops as we tackle paintings together in a quick alla prima effort.
11:30 - 12:15 Lunch Break
12:15 - 3:15 Paint on location
3:30 - 4:30 Critique
THURSDAY
Painting on location anywhere on the island. You choose your own starting time based on your desired schedule. The group critique is from 4:30 - 5:30
FRIDAY
Paint on location anywhere on the island. You choose your own starting time based on your desired schedule. The group critique is from 4:30 - 5:30. The drawing for an original 9x12 David Lussier painting of Monhegan Island follows the critique.
About The Workshop
Learn to paint Alla Prima with confidence. The term Alla Prima means 'At One Go'. In his remarkable treatise 'In Praise of Painterly Painters', the late artist, author and teacher, Charles Movalli wrote; painterly painters are surrounded by seeming contradictions. They finish by not finishing, include by leaving out, paint more by painting less. Their means are easy to see, the results, immediately felt. But how such seemingly insufficient means lead to these results is a mystery.
In this five day plein air workshop, we will explore this method of Alla Prima painting. Economy of stroke is within every painters grasp if they are willing to approach the painting process with a 'Less Is More' mind set. Our goal with each painting will be to see our subject as shapes of color and value and not as individual objects. When viewed in this way, we can look at our subject with a painters eye, react quickly and make confident marks on the canvas that are uniquely an expression of our individual selves.
There will be a daily demonstration with discussions on composition, design, edges, value and color. A thorough understanding of these concepts is key to giving our paintings the feeling of light and atmosphere. Beginners to experienced artist are welcome.
About Monhegan
Monhegan Island is a tiny island about 12 miles off the coast of Maine and reachable by ferry. As soon as you step off the boat, you'll begin to feel Monhegan’s special charm. The painting subjects on this quaint artist's paradise have barely changed in over one hundred years and everywhere you look is another painting waiting to be captured on your canvas. Robert Henri ventured out to Monhegan and was so enamored by its subject matter that he painted 25 small oil sketches in a four day period. Everything about Monhegan Island is special and the experience will stay with you for the rest of your life.
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The link to our supply list below is only a suggested list. If you have a palette of colors, a medium and a supply of brushes that is working for you, then by all means, you are welcome to bring what you like. I do highly recommend a warm and cool tube each of Red, Yellow and Blue.
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Location: Monhegan Island Maine
Suggested Supply List - CLICK HERE
Cost: $525 Class size is limited to 15 students. To register send a deposit check for $250 to David Lussier, 4 Royal Drive, Unit 301, Somersworth, NH 03878
Time: 9:00 - 4:00 Monday - Wednesday
Time: Thursday and Friday. Students choose their own start time and painting location. A critique of everyone’s work for the day begins at 4:30 until 5:30
The first link below will take you to the Monhegan Welcome website. The website offers information about planning your trip to Monhegan, along with all accommodation choices, and boat information to get you there from the mainland and a myriad of other things about Monhegan. The other links, 'Robert Henri And His Circle' and 'Monhegan-An Artist's Island' are enjoyable articles that will acquaint you with Monhegan's history and the remarkable treatise 'In Praise Of Painterly Painters', written by Charles Movalli, is an invaluable article about the act of painting.
For Plein Air Painters, Monhegan is Magical by Gail Spilsbury