If you have stood before an abstract painting and fallen in love with the shapes, colors and lines, you know the power that a good abstract painting can achieve.  While this class is a continuation of Driven To Abstraction I, it is the type of instruction that allows people to jump in at any point.  We will continue to try each week to focus on a different aspect of abstract painting.  Mostly we will work in an Intuitive style, but we will explore abstracted figures, landscapes and still lives.  We will use mark making and layering to give strength to our paintings and use different tools to achieve heights of mark making.  If you love color - come find out how to make the most of color, to make it perform for you - and how neutrals can help make your color pop.

It is a brave endeavor - and we are all in this together!  We will use the power of traditional painting principals such as composition, value and line to delve into the possibilities of abstract painting.  Join us! 

All, or as many as you can manage:

• Disposable palette of any size  - but bigger is better!
• Artist’s Tape (Painting tape OK too!)
• Container for water
• Substrates: 

• • Paper to paint on - watercolor or Canta-paper from strathmore, Bristol paper, etc. 
  • Assortment of  canvases (12x12 to 11x4 – shape, size does not matter)
  • one or two larger canvases - from 16x16 – 30x30 canvas or panel
• Paint (Acrylic):
• • one large tube of any kind of black paint, can be of a lesser grade than professional
  • Gesso or large tube of white paint
  • warm and cool of red, yellow and blue (ex. Alizarin or rose and cad red light, ultramarine and cerulean or pthalo blue, cad yellow medium and cad lemon)
  • any other colors you like
• Brushes and Mark Makers:
• • 1-inch, 2-inch and 3 inch flat brushes if you have them
  • a liner brush (from watercolor) and/or a small, tiny brush of your choice
  • as huge a brush as you dare to bring!
  • Any carving type item, credit card, (that you no longer use), Catalyst – Blick and Michaels sells them 
  • Shapers, goo spreaders and palette knives
• And (any of these):
• • Stabilo pencils, vine charcoal, charcoal, derwent watercolor pencils, graphite pencils, any pastel sticks you like.  As long as you have SOME of these – you certainly don’t need all.  Pencils, yes, then some colored type pencils and/or pastel sticks, If you happen to have Neocolor or Neocolor II crayons, gel pencils or markers, colored or black and white – 
  • Any type of gel medium for exploring collage, and any thin paper or colored paper to incorporate (NOT strictly necessary)
  • Sprayer to keep acrylics moist
  • FLEX YOUR IMAGINATION
  • If you have taken an abstract class from me you probably already have everything you need!

Beaches, Gardens, Buildings and more! For many of us it has been a long time either not painting outdoors or painting alone. This Safari will let us paint the great outdoors again, safely and in a group.  6 weeks of Plein Air painting, in a small group, will happen all along the South Shore. A different location every week, so sometimes the vista will be right in your town and other times there will be a bit of a drive. Each week there will be a lesson on a particular aspect of painting outdoors – perspective, editing, controlling what is included, the effect of light on color, etc.  You should have a passing familiarity with your medium.  I will be painting in Acrylics, but also paint in oils and watercolor, and have taught students who use pastels as well. Join the Safari!!! Limited space – sign up early!

A mixed media class in drawing, painting, color, and having fun experimenting with materials.

Class 1: Starting with Charcoal Drawing
Charcoal is the perfect tool for understanding the importance of values. It is easily erasable, quick for gesture drawing, and very compatible with later adding pastel.

Class 2: Underpainting Techniques
We will learn about the best ways to determine what underpainting technique to select for the subject matter. Pastel with alcohol, watercolor, Brusho, ink, acrylic, or an overall color tone. I’ll bring in materials to share.

Class 3: Color Temperature
Let’s do underpaintings that reverse your color temperatures. Where you have a cool area, make it warm but match the value and visa versa. The color choices are up to you. Push it if you dare.

Class 4: Painting from Life
We will either go outside or paint from a still life. We will experience the importance of freeing ourselves from copying photos.

Class 5: Play Day
Bring in any unfinished pieces or special projects you would like to play with.

Materials: (I use Dick Blick online)

• Drawing or charcoal paper for week 1
• Uart sanded paper. 9x12 pad. Weeks 2-5
• 12 x 18 sheets optional if you want to work bigger
• Erasers, kneaded and Mars plastic 
• Nitram Soft Charcoal Sticks - Set of 8 assorted
• 2 sheets of black foam care, little bigger than your paper
• White or black artist’s tape
• 1” flat watercolor brush, cheap
• Soft Pastels: 
• Bring whatever you have. If you are new to pastels consider Unison Half Sticks, Set of 63
• Hard Pastels: Prismacolor NuPastel Color Stick Set - Assorted Colors, Set of 24 (no oil pastels please)
• Paper Towel
• 70% Isopropyl Alcohol (drug store)
• Wet wipes
• Your own photo reference. On iPad or Color and black and white 8x10 prints if possible.
• Open Mind

This fun class is designed for experienced painters working in any medium, who want to explore a more expressive and contemporary approach to their work. We’ll explore new ways to manipulate the abstract elements of line, shape, color, and value to express an unexpected idea or statement. Through a series of quick, fun exercises, we’ll learn how to let go of just copying what is in front of us and let our intuition guide us. This is not a “how to paint” class, rather a place to have fun and experiment with fellow artists. We’ll be working independently from still life and/or photos. Cut paper collage may be introduced along the way. 

Specific materials needed will be emailed each week.

A mixed media class in drawing, painting, color, and having fun experimenting with materials.

Week 1: Starting with Black and White
Using black Sumi ink full strength and diluted on printmaking paper you will use the biggest brush you have to create a strong statement. You can do a few quick gesture paintings and leave them in black and white or use my clear gesso to create a tooth to incorporate pastel. I will do an animal demo. Consider bringing animal references. Action is good. (I’ll provide ink and paper if you don’t have any)

Week 2: Quickies
We will start with small 5 minute gesture studies then proceed to 10-15 minute studies. The goal is loosening up and using confident color. Think of creating rhythm and expressive strokes. Make a mark and try to leave it. Vary the pressure on your stick. Bring in uncomplicated photo reference and/or still life materials. Pre-select a few color palates to save time. Any medium you like or want to try.

Week 3: Make your colors POP
We will work on black Uart or canvas. You can tone Uart even darker with a few dark pastels and alcohol. Bring in reference that is mostly dark with a little light. Even “dull” colors look brilliant against the black.

Week 4: Colors You LOVE
Start with a palate that excites you. Create it yourself or bring in art/photo/fabric/object with colors that resonate. If you are a fast painter, bring in 2 or 3. Also bring in photo references of subjects that are different from your inspiration palate. The point is to come up with more creative color choices and not to use local/true-life color.

Week 5: Bring In Your Duds/Unfinished Masterpieces
Anything goes today. No fear when working on something you have put aside. Start with a fresh vision and push it.

Note: If it is a beautiful day and not too hot, we may paint outdoors. Individual choice.

Materials: (I use Dick Blick online)

• Drawing or charcoal paper for week 1
• Uart sanded paper. 9x12 pad. Weeks 2-5
• 12 x 18 sheets optional if you want to work bigger
• Erasers, kneaded and Mars plastic 
• Nitram Soft Charcoal Sticks - Set of 8 assorted
• 2 sheets of black foam care, little bigger than your paper
• White or black artist’s tape
• 1” flat watercolor brush, cheap
• Soft Pastels: 
• Bring whatever you have. If you are new to pastels consider Unison Half Sticks, Set of 63
• Hard Pastels: Prismacolor NuPastel Color Stick Set - Assorted Colors, Set of 24 (no oil pastels please)
• Paper Towel
• 70% Isopropyl Alcohol (drug store)
• Wet wipes
• Your own photo reference. On iPad or Color and black and white 8x10 prints if possible.
• Open Mind

The goal of the class will be to demystify watercolors, from planning, materials, composition, washes, shapes, perspective, values, edges and anything else that comes up. 

Watercolor artist Jack Haran is the past president of the New England Watercolor Society (NEWS) and past President of North River Arts Society (NRAS). He sits on the Board of Directors for NRAS. He earned a BS in Fine Arts from Northeastern University and a School of the Museum of Fine Arts Diploma. He has studied with Tony Van Hasselt and Judi Wagner, Zygmond Jankowski, John Kilroy, Alvaro Castagnet and Joseph Zbukvic.

Materials List

- Backing Board and Masking tape to mount paper

- Easel

- Water Bucket and Spray Bottle,

- Palette with mixing wells,

- Paper should be good quality 140 pound at least. I use Saunders Waterford rough.

Brushes:

- The size of the brush is important. There should be 3 brushes, one large, one medium and one small.

- 1 Large soft brush for washes, ie. Escoda Aquario Mop # 18 OR Princeton Quill # 6 - OR 1¼ inch Flat Wash OR Cheap Joe – Dream Catcher # 16 (this is made by Escoda)

- 1 Medium Round, ie. Cheap Joe Golden Fleece # 12 OR Escoda Perla # 16 OR Cheap Joe – Dream Catcher # 12 (this is made by Escoda)

- 1 small rigger, ie. Cheap Joe Golden Fleece rigger # 4

- The brushes listed above are good brushes but if you already have brushes that are equivalent then yours will be fine.

Paints

- Three primary colors, a warm and a cool of each, such as:

Reds – Alizarin Crimson and Quinacridone Red,

Blues – Ultramarine and Cobalt

Yellows – Lemon Yellow and Raw Sienna

Neutral Tint, Gouache White