Workshop review

Hello out there in blogger-land, I am home again after a weekend workshop with the lovely Rita Kirkman,, in Valentine NE.

  The theme was about working small, which has quite a few strong points, such as, its easy to get in a painting a day, they are easier to frame, and being small, it sets you free to experiment as you don't have this huge amount of time or materials involved.

Rita works mainly in pastel, but students worked in whatever they liked.   She also has a unique way of priming/underpainting that we all tried.    Here's my second piece from the first day, as for the first piece, well, nevermind!

Sam's Bunny    6x8pastel    $50.

Rita was a very articulate, open, generous teacher.    Her drawing skills are just killer, too!    She did a few demos, and can explain whilst working.   I learn well with this, and wrote down several key points when I got home last night.    I have come home with a new excitement to get to work!   Which will help me greatly next week as I slide in head-first into 'empty nest'.  

There was also a show held in conjunction, of which I brought home a 2nd for this landscape, yeah!

Bill's Road   9x12 pastel    $250 framed

The day before the workshop, a few of us went painting along the overlook area of the Niobrara River.  Its gorgeous there!    What a great way to kick off a workshop, too!

Storm along the Niobrara;   7x10pastel on panel, $45

I will post more of the small paintings in future blog posts, so keep watching, and ask away if there's a question.