l'Atelier aux Couleurs: the Art Academy

Peggi Kroll-Roberts

Painting the Still-Life & Figure
Indoors and Out
Coming in September 0f 2009

Peggi has been teaching with us every fall since 2004. We look forward to her coming back in September of 2009. In this workshop, the still-life and figure will be the subject matter with the focus on improving drawing skills, seeing values and color correctly and understanding their relationships to each other.

Oil primarily; charcoal and watercolor acceptable
Beginner to professional
Instructor demonstrations in oil
Individual critiques daily
Portable easel needed

We will paint the still-life and figure out of doors and in a studio setting with figures wearing simple costumes and props. There will be daily demonstrations emphasizing the big shapes and establishing their relationships correctly. This will become a springboard to adding additional information if the individual artist so desired. Peggi addresses design and techniques in a manner that individual artists can then use to express themselves in a personal way. We will cover a lot of canvas- burning mileage by painting smaller sizes. “I believe that more is learned through many small starts than by laboring over a large canvas.” Students will receive plenty of one-on-one instruction and individual demonstrations as needed.


Peggi Kroll-Roberts studied art at Arizona State University and transferred to the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. Following a 17-year career as an illustrator, she has taken her knowledge of the fundamentals and established her life in painting and family. Peggi and her artist husband Ray Roberts live with their three children on a small ranch in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Angels Camp, CA. A member of the California Art Club and American Impressionist Society, Peggi won the first place award at the July 2001 Laguna Art Museum Plein Air Invitational, and she was a guest artist at the October 2002 Plein-Air Painters of America event at Catalina Island and will be a guest artist at the June 2004 Plein-Air Painters of America event at Lake Tahoe. Peggi is represented by galleries in Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico and South Carolina. Website: www.krollroberts.com.

The Schedule: 9am-4pm painting at the studio and outside. We will supply a packet with maps and further information four weeks prior to the workshop.

Ray Roberts

Painting the Figure Indoors & Out

Ray has taught some fine figure workshops with us. We hope to have him back in 2009. If you are interested in his workshops, we need to hear from you so that we can add him to our schedule in 2009. Please fill out our form to be added to our mailing list and select to receive more information on Ray Roberts' workshops.

There are many times when artists can sense that they are close to getting it "right." We've all been there. An objective look at your neighbor's painting can reveal many obvious inaccuracies; it's easy to see it in someone else's painting but not in yours. Many times something simple or basic is just overlooked. We will take a look at all the "tools" painters utilize to put together a solid head.

Drawing, proportions, color, value, composition, form and the use of a mirror, among other things, are tools one can use to get a solid painting from the model. Ray demonstrates close up details of what to look for and how light might fall across the features of the face. There are many nuances are explored to reach that next level.

Oil
Beginner to professional
Instructor demonstrations
Individual attention

Ray Roberts was recipient of three major awards in 2003, including Artist Choice at the Carmel Art Festival and the Laguna Art Museum Invitational. He was also elected to join Plein-Air Painters of America in 2004 and is a signature member of Laguna Plein-Air Painters Association, California Art Club and Northwest Rendezvous. He was recently featured in the August 2004 issue of Plein-Air Magazine and was featured in Southwest Art in February 2000. He currently lives in Angels Camp, Calif., where he shares his life, studio and family with figure painter Peggi Kroll Roberts.

Gay Faulkenberry

Landscape & Still-Life Painting

We had Gay here to teach a Landscape & Still-Life Painting Workshop in 2005. We hope to have her back again soon. If you want to be put on the waiting list for Gay's next workshop, please fill out our form to be added to our mailing list and select to receive more information on Gay Faulkenberry workshops.

This oil painting workshop will address the challenge and excitement of painting landscapes outdoors & still-lifes indoors. The class is designed to help the student better understand strong composition, color harmony, color and value relationships.

Check out her article in the November 2004 issue of Plein Air Magazine and in the February 2005 issue of Southwest Art Magazine. "I will take students through my thought process on starting a painting, setting up and pulling it together to a finish. We will paint out of doors (en plein-air) and focus on how to create that luminous feeling of sunlight. I will work with each student at his or her own level of development. Individual attention and critiques will be of utmost importance. I am looking forward to a week of painting, hard work and fun." - Gay Faulkenberry

Oil
Beginner to advanced
Instructor demonstrations
Individual attention and critiques
Portable easel needed

Gay Faulkenberry grew up in an artistic family and was encouraged artistically at an early age. She studied art at both Southwestern State and Oklahoma State universities. Disillusioned with the programs offered, she began working as a geological draftsman. It wasn't until a trip to Taos, N.M., in 1978 that Gay took a more serious direction to pursuing a fine-art career. Her in-depth training came from workshops with noted artist Sergei Bongart and additional studies with Ned Jacob, Ray Vinella and Mark Daily.

Painting professionally for the past 20 years, her subject matter is well rounded and includes still life, florals, landscapes and interiors. Her work is found in many private and corporate collections and is featured in numerous art publications. She is a member of the Plein-Air Painters of America, a signature member of American Women Artists and Alla Prima International.

Camille Przewodek

Head & Figure Workshop

In 2007, Camille taught a couple of weekend workshops on painting the Head & Figure. If you want to be put on the waiting list for Camille's next Head & Figure workshops, please fill out our form to be added to our mailing list and select to receive more information on Camille Przewodek workshops.

In this workshop we will adhere to the traditional "mudhead" approach of the Hensche/Hawthorne school, where the head of the figure is expressed in simple, large color notes like our still life block studies. We will also emphasize more advanced compositional considerations, such as background design, negative space, rhythm and perspective of the figure and head in 3-dimensional space.

Hours: 9am - 4pm

Oil primarily; pastel acceptable
Beginner to professional
Instructor demonstrations in oil
Individual critiques daily
Portable easel needed

In this workshop:
The Head and Figure will be the subject matter with the focus on seeing values and color correctly and understanding their relationships to each other. There will be daily demonstrations emphasizing the big shapes and establishing their relationships correctly. Students will receive plenty of one-on-one instruction and individual demonstrations as needed.

Camille Przewodek's Statement
Lineage of Impressionism:
In 1980, Henry Hensche [1901-1992] “opened my eyes” by introducing me to Monet’s impressionist tradition of seeing and painting color with the influence of light. Hensche, who had assisted famed American Impressionist Charles Hawthorne [1872-1930] at the Cape School of Art since 1930, changed the way I perceived shadows, which were no longer dark shapes but were filled with color. I also learned that conveying the shape of objects was accomplished through the interaction of colors. And as the colors changed, so did the form. Hensche changed forever the way in which I see color, helping me understand the fundamental principles of impressionism.

The Effect of Light on Color:
Impressionsim, which has come to mean “the effect of light on color,” demands that the artist pay conscious , careful attention to what she sees and how she sees it. Like playing scales on the piano, practice is critical to understanding and expressing both how light creates color and how color notes convey light. I struggle against formulas and try to keep a fresh eye when exploring the color of each scene. That’s why I continually do outdoor studies, and why I stop work on a painting when the light changes, returning to it only when the weather and light conditions are the same.

Approach:
I begin by quickly putting down color notes in an abstract series of shapes. Using a palette knife or a brush, I mix the colors directly on the painting surface and study their relationships to one another. If I change one color, I must change them all. I move from big masses of color to smaller spots, refining forms and shapes through values (light and dark) as I go along.

For further information, feel free to contact Camille directly at (707) 762-4125.

Skip Whitcomb

Advanced Outdoor Field Painting

We hope to have Skip Whitcomb return to teach a workshop in 2009. We enjoyed our last workshops of 2005 & 2007 with Skip Whitcomb. If you want to be put on the waiting list for his next workshop, please fill out our form to be added to our mailing list and select to receive more information on Skip Whitcomb workshops.

Read what some of the students reported from their experience with Skip...

"I learned so much from him. Before the workshop I was going to give up trying to paint plein air, but he change my mind."

"He really was able to get to the heart of my problems while painting and he really can communicate well."

The Workshop: This will be an intense workshop designed for serious painters. It will address fundamental skills necessary for successful fieldwork. Through a series of visual and procedural exercises, we will examine the foundation essential for organizing workable and unique compositions from the wealth of material nature provides. Emphasis is on learning to conceptualize, simplify and organize value patterns, masses (shapes) and color outdoors.

All demos and paintings are done on location. The goal is to appreciate fully the importance of outdoor painting. This is the most valuable tool the landscape artist has in developing larger compositions in the studio. These studies are the soul of studio work.

Oil primarily, pastel and watercolor accepted
Intermediate to professional
Instructor demonstration in oil
Individual critiques daily
Portable easel and transportation needed

Skip Whitcomb believes that drawing and composition are the soul of painting. An accomplished plein-air painter, draftsman and printmaker, Skip studied at the Art Center College of Design, where he received thorough training in drawing and painting. He paints studies on the spot and then heads to his studio in Fort Collins, Colo., for the finished works. He participates in museum invitational shows around the country, including the National Academy, N.Y., and the Gilcrease Museum, Okla., and is a two-time recipient of the Red Smith Memorial Award from the National Museum of Wildlife Art.

Listed in Who's Who in American Art, Skip's work has been featured in articles in Southwest Art, American Artist, and The Pastel Journal. His work can be seen in galleries in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming.

Schedule: 9am-4pm. After you register, we will supply a packet with maps and further information four to six weeks prior to the workshop.

Ray Roberts

Landscape Painting

Ray has taught some great landscape workshops with us. We hope to have him back in 2009. If you are interested in his workshops, we need to hear from you so that we can add him to our schedule in 2009. Please fill out our form to be added to our mailing list and select to receive more information on Ray Roberts' workshops.

This intense workshop will concentrate on developing on-location oil painting skills. Initial discussion will cover materials, procedures, design and techniques for creating paintings that capture what you see. There will be plenty of individual attention and critiques as well as a step-by-step demonstration. Students are encouraged to develop their own expression and insight into their work.

Ray Roberts was recipient of three major awards in 2003, including Artist Choice at the Carmel Art Festival and the Laguna Art Museum Invitational. He was also elected to join Plein-Air Painters of America in 2004 and is a signature member of Laguna Plein-Air Painters Association, California Art Club and Northwest Rendezvous. He was recently featured in the August 2004 issue of Plein-Air Magazine and was featured in Southwest Art in February 2000. He currently lives in Angels Camp, Calif., where he shares his life, studio and family with figure painter Peggi Kroll Roberts.

Oil
Beginner to professional
Instructor demonstrations
Individual attention
Portable Easel and Transportation Needed

Ray Roberts was recipient of three major awards in 2003, including Artist Choice at the Carmel Art Festival and the Laguna Art Museum Invitational. He was also elected to join Plein-Air Painters of America in 2004 and is a signature member of Laguna Plein-Air Painters Association, California Art Club and Northwest Rendezvous. He was recently featured in the August 2004 issue of Plein-Air Magazine and was featured in Southwest Art in February 2000. He currently lives in Angels Camp, Calif., where he shares his life, studio and family with figure painter Peggi Kroll-Roberts.

Schedule: 9am-4pm. After you register, we will supply a packet with maps and further information four to six weeks prior to the workshop.

John Ebersberger

(Detail of "Mackenzie")


The Portrait Society of America awarded John the
"Certificate of Excellence" at the 10th Annual Art of
the Portrait Conference for his portrait, "Mackenzie".
The event was held in Philadelphia in April, 2008.

Painting the Still-Life & Figure in Full
Spectrum Color with John Ebersberger
(Additional model fees will be added to tuition at the
time of the workshop.)

Coming in 2009, this workshop will teach students to paint with color to create the many moods and light effects of nature in both landscape, figure and still life studies. Beginning and advanced students alike benefit from this unique approach to color perception. Designed for all levels of ability John Ebersberger's workshop will also cover the basic steps of drawing the figure and the head in charcoal realistically and expressively.

Students will learn the historic *(Hawthorne/Hensche) mud-head approach to studying color relationships as it applies to the outdoor portrait and figure. Palette knives will be used to emphasis the importance of the relationships of the large areas of color (masses). Other topics of study will include setting up the action of the figure, relating the figure to the landscape, and the importance of color in aerial perspective.

John studied under Henry Hensche. Below is an excerpt of a piece he wrote about Hensche.

I believe that a reverent love of nature is the foundation for Henry’s technical virtuosity and supplied him with the fortitude to hold on to his vision in the face of the many “isms” that distracted lesser painters throughout this century.

Henry was, to me, essentially a spiritual painter. And by that I mean that at his finest, his paintings provide an entrance point to a deep experience of the universe. Of reality. Beauty takes us to this place--a plateau of awareness unencumbered by ideologies or systems of thought.

Jiddu Krishnamurti called it “choiceless awareness”. This striking at the truth requires true love. For Henry, it is the love of light, and the color it creates in joint venture with our eyes. Henry said, “To write a love song you have to be in love.” The experience comes first--the painting is a record of having had that experience. Or to quote that renegade Henshe-ite from the deep South, Tommy Thurmond, “You ARE the tree!”.

“Paintings are to teach man to see the glory of human visual existence”. So Henry told Robert Brown in a 1971 interview for the Smithsonian Institute’s Archives of American Art.

This is a philosophical stance that places high value on our human experience. Henry is asserting the majesty of our human experience and it’s spiritual nature. I remember he told a group of us once that we didn’t deserve the paradise of heaven if we couldn’t appreciate the beauty that was all around us, right here on Earth.

Figure Drawing & Head Study / Charcoal
Designed for all levels of ability John Ebersberger's workshop will also cover the basic steps of drawing the figure and the head realistically and expressively. Gesture drawing will be used to study movement and balance, sustained poses will be used to study light and shade, construction, and anatomy. Students under 18 must have a portfolio review prior to enrollment.

Oil - Beginner to Professional
Instructor demonstration in oil
Individual critiques daily
Portable easel and transportation needed

Tentative Schedule:
Monday: Still-Life study, 9am-4pm.
Tuesday: Painting the Figure & Portrait 9am-4pm, with an evening session from 7-9pm, Head Study in Charcoal.
Wednesday: Painting the Figure & Portrait 9am-4pm, with evening session from 7-9pm, Nude Figure Study in Charcoal.
Thursday: Painting the Figure & Portrait 9am-4pm, with a group dinner at a local restaurant at 6pm.
Friday: Painting the Figure & Portrait 9am-4pm.