Impressionist Reflections

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1 Impressionist Reflections FM I Aug Fri- Mon Centre Level Date Days Sole occupancy cost Shared occupancy cost Non-Residential cost The location of many of John Constable s paintings, Flatford Mill runs over 120 Natural History and Arts courses in a unique and tranquil learning environment. Course Overview Reflections can be found everywhere: reflections in water, reflections of sunlit walls filling shadows with colour, the reflection of a buttercup under a child's chin, and it is ours to explore. We will follow in the footsteps of the Impressionists and fill our paintings with colour and light. The techniques of the Impressionists will be examined and applied to bring life and light to our painting. See also 04 Aug-08 Aug if you would like to join Pat for a full week and enjoy a 10% discount on the fees. Course Description We will be taking a look at the necessary techniques to paint in the impressionist way, which has not changed much since the 1860's. This long weekend course looks at the idea of reflections as a way of freeing up our colour perceptions and enriching our paintings with fresh colour relationships. We will look at how local colours of objects like flesh tones are affected by surrounding colours reflected in each other. Pat will demonstrate this principle with the assistance of one Claude Monet. He will do a painting demonstration showing how Money would achieve his effects by painting a detail from 'Women In A Garden' and 'Le Grenouillere'.

2 I m p r e s s i o n i s t R e f l e c t i o n s There will be drawing exercises to evaluate our accuracy of eye and how we can correct any unwanted inaccuracies will be a daily part of the course. We will develop the ability to draw and paint our subjects in a kind of shorthand: a typical impressionist painting relies on suggestion rather than a photographic attention to detail. We will be exploring ways of saying more with less. Colour accuracy and mixing based on the colour wheel and palette management is an essential part of the procedure. We will look at a simple strategy to keep our colours clean and our palettes organised. We will look at the practicalities of pre-mixing colours as well as mixing colours on site. Impressionist paintings, because they are about the ordinary and every day, apparently seem to be randomly organised rather like their subjects, but composition and design in impressionist painting is as important as with the Old Masters. We will look at the use of classical composition and how the impressionists were also influenced by the design of the Japanese print. The above applies to Oils, Acrylics and watercolours. About the Tutor Pat Gavin studied Painting, Illustration, History of Art and Interior Design at Hornsey College of Art. Painting has always been central to his work during his career as an illustrator, graphic designer and animator, in television, film and advertising. He took the art and skill of painting on canvas into the technology of computer generated images and now brings this knowledge back to the canvas as a full time painter and teacher.

3 I m p r e s s i o n i s t R e f l e c t i o n s Starting work at Rediffusion he went to Thames Television and designed the identity of the children's show 'Magpie'. Moving to LWT Pat continued to work on titles for light entertainment and sports programmes, such as Poirot and 'The Big Match'; at the same time developing ideas and designs for art and religious shows. Pat's interest in classical music proved advantageous for many design projects. He collaborated with the composer Leonard Bernstein on his opera 'Trouble in Tahiti', designing and animating three special sequences and contributing on the set design with Eileen Diss. He wrote and directed, for the Aquarius arts programme, an animated film about the composer Erik Satie 'Mr Satie Passing Through'. He assisted the art historian E H Gombrich with a lecture on 'The History of Art' for The South Bank Show. For twenty-five years Pat has worked on this well known arts show and the titles, along with many of his other designs, have won various awards, including: four 'BAFTA's; 'The Design and Art Directors Gold award; 'The Design and Art Directors' Silver Award, six times; the 'Prix Italia - the only designer to win this coveted award; Hero of the Smithsonian Institution', Washington, for his work on digital set design. Having lectured widely Pat was made Honorary Professor for animation at Duncan of Jordanstone University in Dundee. He has contributed various articles to publications on drawing and design. What to Bring I'm sure you all have your preferred paints and brushes and painting surfaces but as a general guide the following suggestions might come in handy. OILS: Paints should be pigment rich and have a firm consistency, Michael Hardin, Gamblin, Roberson and Winsor & Newton are all good. Try to avoid student quality they have no real colour strength or body. BRUSHES: Large(about 0.5 of an inch hog bristles for moving stiff paint about and smaller nylon brushes for any over painting and detail work. Palette knives are a quick clean way of applying and moving paint. MEDIUMS: Linseed oil is the quickest of the drying oils but should be used sparingly. A non toxic, non smelly solvent should be used for diluting any of the paint layers and for cleaning brushes. PAINTING SURFACES: Stretched canvas or boards will be fine, no bigger than 16"x12" AND LOTS AND LOTS OF RAGS!

4 I m p r e s s i o n i s t R e f l e c t i o n s ACRYLICS: Any of the acrylic manufacturers are good.there are some new ones on the market, Pip Seymour have a particularly nice surface and colour range and LASCAUX are very good but weak at the red end of the colour range, you will need to augment the reds with a good Cadmium red from another manufacturer. Gold, Winsor&Newton and Rowney are all good. BRUSHES: The same as for oils MEDIUMS: A slow drying (retarder) medium. A transparent glaze medium. A small water atomiser spray. A stay wet palette. If you like thick chunky paintings acrylics are good for adding thickener gels and aggregate mediums. PAINTING SURFACES: The same as oils. WATERCOLOUR: Artist quality paints. Gum Arabic and a good quality paper. BRUSHES: Your brushes should be of the finest quality. A couple of different shapes of brush according to taste and style. Have a main medium sized sable as your general work horse, it will have enough bristles to act as a good reservoir, enabling you to make large gestural marks and also make fine detailed marks all with the one brushes. Have a couple of small ones as a support. Start and finish times Afternoon tea is available from 1600 on Friday, but the first formal activity is dinner at 1900 (with the bar open from 1845!). Please aim to arrive between 1530 and 1800 on Friday to allow us sufficient time to show you to your accommodation and around the communal areas. The course will end at 1600 on Monday. What the fee includes Residential course fee includes: Full board accommodation including cooked breakfast, picnic lunch, homemade cakes and an evening meal. Vegetarian and other dietary option available. Up to 8 hours teaching time a day, plus relaxing breaks for meals and refreshments. Tea and coffee making facilities available throughout the day. Use of resources including library, workrooms, studios and the Centre grounds. Tel: enquiries.fm@field-studies-council.org Fax:

5 I m p r e s s i o n i s t R e f l e c t i o n s Transport during the courses. Insurance to cover cancellation, personal belongings, personal accident, legal liability and medical emergency. If you choose to be a non-resident on a residential course, the fee will include all the above except accommodation and breakfast. How to book Bookings can be made by telephoning the Centre; we are open weekdays and most weekends. Alternatively, bookings can be made via our website: Tel: enquiries.fm@field-studies-council.org Fax: