Karl Fredrik Dahl
Acrylic under-painting with oil finish.
Monday 20th October.
I wondered may be some of the participants felt a bit downhearted when Mitch made his demonstration this morning? Perhaps we were not as advanced as we thought? The classical and everlasting problem was mixing the colours to the wanted nuance. Mitch “comforted” us with saying that this ability and science we have to struggle with for years and years until we approach the optimum. Perhaps a few of us never shall manage that - . Further he repeated again and again that the brush should “dance” around the canvas “clockwise” to emphasize the focus.Acrylic under-painting with oil finish seems to me to be a funny experience. Recommended! (Reversed it will not work!) You save expensive oil paint and get the result in a quicker way. It is very important to clean the brushes well by using a large amount of soap and water.At the end of the first day we were quite exhausted and went early to bed.
Further with oil on acrylic.
Tuesday 21st October.
As usual we had to find the motive ourselves. I chose a scene from a market place, very simplified. Simplification of the motive with artistic freedom is important to show the focus. So is the contrasting effect between the highlights and the shadows. Mitch is really a magician working magic with colours! Also he is very good in sharing his wide world of knowledge with his students. He makes everyone feel like great artists who make mass production of “glittering masterpieces”.
3 point perspective and watercolour.
Wednesday 22nd October.
After the breakfast this morning Mitch demonstrated and explained the system of 3 point perspective. Perhaps not too easy to understand, but still worse to practice. Then we were brought up to the picturesque old streets of Saint-Jeannet to practice what we should have learned. Again we had to find the motive ourselves, choose the section and place it on the paper. We used pencil, sepia crayon and watercolour. My impression was that all of us were “very good” according to Mitch.The séance lasted until lunch time, and then we had the rest of the day off. (In the evening it was raining.)
Haut de Cagnes.
Thursday 23rd October.
After our experience yesterday with perspectives, today we were going one step further. The yellow Maison des Arts’ car driven in “French manner” with Mitch behind the steering-wheel, brought us to the famous castle above Haut de Cagnes. After a quick sight-seeing and demonstration of street perspectives, we went out to practice the knowledge. The theme was once again to find the motive, choose the section and place it on paper, in addition to find our horizontal line, the vanishing points, colour tones to emphasize the perspective. And - the most difficult: to paint some busy people into the street scene. Very challenging, but quite amusing! We used the same mediums as yesterday: pencil, sepia crayon and watercolour. It turned out that some of us still were not well acquainted with mixing and using water-colours. Consequently valuable time was wasted. Curious tourists stopped and peeped from the back of our shoulder at our works. One of us even got a bid on the master piece!
While we were working in the streets, Mitch ran around and gave each one very valuable and personable guiding and correction. A demanding marathon race because of our different knowledge and experience, and because we were spread all over the whole town! It turned out to be a long and tough day. However, by then we had started to get used to the high speed.
Baou de Saint-Jeannet.
Friday 24th. October.
”Acrylic creative interpretation”. The view up to Baou de Saint-Jeannet was the task of the morning. (Voluntarily of course!) After a brief demonstration of artistic freedom and interpretation Mitch left us to the job. What a formidable job! The results turned out in great variations but absolutely amusing.In the evening we enjoyed the “a la carte” menu in the restaurant in Saint Jeannet while the rain was pouring down in the streets.
Portraits, character & likeness!
Saturday 25th. October. (The last day).
Today we should deal with the most difficult task in the course. Mitch chose one of us and painted with easinss and elegance a portrait with stroking likeness, using about 60 minutes only. It looked so easy to do. However, when we should do it we discovered how difficult it really was. Mitch guided us and gave us valuable help and correction. And the results? Not very bad, in fact “very good”, according to El Maestro. (Personally I was really not satisfied with my face!).In the afternoon we had the usual course final: Exhibition, sparkling champagne, photos, congratulations and packing the pictures for the departure. When the last dinner was ended, Mitch had the slideshow ready. It is amazing that he had managed to make the show while we were dining.
Summary and conclusion.
Take control over the palette. Choose the focus and keep it. Find your horizontal line and the vanishing points. Choose your section. Take measures, compare and work towards the focus. Adjust the colours to balance and emphasize the perspective with cold and warm colours.A fantastic course filled with useful learning. But if it shall have lasting value, it is important to practice further. I was happy to have joined the course All level Painting. Otherwise I might had experienced greater difficulties to follow.
I went home enriched and very satisfied with the two weeks in Maison des Arts.Great thanks to Mitch White and his crew!
Karl Fredrik Dahl