Pastel Punch! workshop listed in Oregon

In 2013 I will be offering a few pastel workshops for those who wish to improve their knowledge/skill set of this incredible medium. As of now I have secured February 8-10th at the beautiful Sequoia Gallery in Hillsboro, Oregon.  I am working on workshop dates with the Oregon Society of Artists and I am also looking for sponsors beyond the Oregon borders who would love to have me teach in their area.  Please contact me if you would like to make this a reality.  

Pastel Punch!

$300.00

Workshop Dates: 2/8/2013 - 2/10/2013

Location: Sequoia Gallery

136 SE 3rd

Hillsboro Oregon 97123

United States

http://www.sequoiagallerystudios.org/

Learn the secrets of this intensely expressive and colorful medium in an artistic environment. This 3 day workshop will be held in the beautiful Sequia Gallery & Studios in downtown Hillsboro.  Designed for all artistic levels who want to learn what it takes to make knock-out pastel paintings.  Drawing skills are strongly recommended and photo references as well as still lifes will be used for some of your work. Students can expect to work a variety of exercises stressing the unique qualities of pastel while concentrating on composition, value, and color theory, as well as pastel safety and framing. Students will stretch their creativity with the given exercizes and are not expected to complete a finished work in class.  If the weather allows, we may elect to paint outdoors for the final day.

February 8~10th, 2013

Class tuition: $300.  Check or Credit accepted

Class Limited to 10 students only/6 minimum  

Class #31

Register by calling Claudia (503) 648-5785

or Sequoia Gallery

Sequoia Gallery  (503) 693-0401

(registration is conducted through the gallery)

There will also be two opportunities to see a 11/2 hour demonstration at the Sequoia Gallery as a preview to what you will learn in the workshop.  Consider it a mini lesson

Cost : $10. at the door.

Demo dates:  

Nov 14th, 7:00-8:30 pm

Jan 16th 7:00-8:30 pm

Summer Lake, 14x11

"Summer Lake" 14x11, Oil

The summer greens in Oregon have folded into shades of orange, soft rust, and bright yellow.  Fall is present in the Northwest, but so is the rain.  That means it's time to put away the sandals and strap on those boots. Here is the last piece I painted just before the rainy season began and it was a very blustery day.  The wind swept my roll of paper towels and ran with it, creating a trail that wove it's way into the lake below, causing me to pack up my easel prematurely.  This location is a pedestrian park in development called Summer Lake.  I discovered it late this past summer and have found it to be a great painting spot for those days when I have a small window of time.

Oh yes, a news flash! 

A few days ago, I received an invitation by Steve Doherty of Plein Air Magazine to be one of the participating artists in the field at the Plein Air Convention held in Monterey, CA.  I'm thrilled and truly humbled to be given this opportunity to share my joy of painting with a larger audience. Last year's Convention was incredible and I will never forget the feeling of being surrounded by so much talent, inspiration and new friends. If you attend the convention in April of 2013, please be sure to stop by and say "Hi" because I'd love to meet my blogging friends. Thank you to Steve Doherty!

Pastel Punch! Workshop Registration is open.

I am now taking registrations for my February 2013 workshop. Attendance will be limited to 10 artists for close, individual attention. I don't offer this workshop very often, but when I do, I make sure we have fun. Make your artistic goals a reality with a workshop packed full of information and experimentation.  Perhaps it's time you consider a workshop for a Christmas or Hannukah gift.

Pastel Punch! Workshop
Sequoia Gallery
Hillsboro, OR
February 8-10, 2013
9:00-4:00 pm daily
$300
http://brendaboylan.com/workshops

Urban Posts, 16x12

"Urban Posts" 16x12" Oil

You gotta love it! The dry weather was holding for a beautiful fall and the trees have hinted their annual notes of color.  Since the landscape is not in its full foliage, I've been working the streets again with oils and it's been well, rather interesting. Here is a piece I worked on SE Belmont and SE 34th in Portland along with three other plein air artists. I stood in the nook of Stumptown Roasters and surely enough, an hour into my piece, someone asked if we "were in a painting class."  I didn't think to add this one to my list of top 10 most asked Plein Air questions, but I should have because it's asked a lot. I also had the company of a young man, down on his luck, settle two yards from my easel.  He had a sign that read "I need money for food, fuel and ganja". Now, if you don't know what ganja is, then that's a good thing, but I remember a neighbor in college smoked the stuff, and so that was all I needed to know at that point to stay clear. Anyway, I guess I missed the memo to bring my "starving artist" sign, but I digress...  

The rain has begun here in earnest and it's all downhill for the plein air season, so I will be hunkering down in my studio until the spring warmth brings dry skies.

Oh yes, let me resume back to the topic of this post.  Here is a detail of "Urban Posts".  I was trying to come up with some sort of title that had the flyers and the pole as the subject of this painting. Noting how we communicate on many levels, be it through old fashioned telephone lines carrying conversations across a distance, or colorful flyers stapled on a greasy pole shouting about the local band scene.  I've been taking the liberty of a loose, painterly approach with my oil work and I'm really really enjoying my results.  I wonder how it will influence my pastel work as I jump into it this winter. 

"Urban Posts" detail

If you get SouthwestArt magazine, be sure to check out pages 48 and 49.  There is info on the American Impressionist Society 13th Annual Exhibit coming up this November 8~30th at Eckert and Ross Fine Art. I'm thrilled to have my piece "Curbsides" included in this prestigious national show.  Here is the list of work with images of those pieces invited into this show. Indeed, a stunning gathering of work.

I also have an advertisement in SouthwestArt with my gallery American Art Company, in Tacoma, WA.  Currently AAC has 9 of my large pastels proudly displayed for the next few months.  If you are in the area, please stop by and indulge your senses with color, shape and form.

Top Ten PA Comments (re-published from 2008)

It is not often one encounters an artist on the street happily painting along. We are a curious sight to see no doubt, and often times people are not so sure what the heck we are doing. While out painting last week I had a conversation with another artist about plein-air musings. Our conversation drifted to what the curious onlooker most often comments on while we artists are out in the field. So, I thought that I would re-post and update my findings from a post back in 2008, since I find this topic a source of great enlightenment for the non-painter and humorous for the painter alike. I have listed them in order of the least common comments starting from #10 to #1. And of course, this is totally meant to be tongue in cheek humor so take no offense! Your comments are encouraged here as I may have missed a few top-notchers.

#10. Can I look?
#9. How long did that take you to paint?
#8. I used to paint a little bit too, but I don't have the time anymore.
#7. You missed that tree (mountain, bridge, cloud, fill in the blank) over there.
#6. What are you painting?
#5 That's really nice, do you sell your work?
#4. "Wow, that looks great!" as they are approaching my work from the backside, unseen.
#3. I can't even draw a straight line.
#2. Are you an artist?

and finally, the top most stated conversation topic...

#1. My aunt Betty (uncle, grandma, sister, or other relation) paints too, and he/she is really good.

And then there are the not so funny moments...
Once I was out painting with 3 other artists at a high level lookout, viewing our beautiful painting subject, Mount Hood. I had been concentrating so much on my work that I didn't even hear the tour bus full of travelers drive up. I was completely startled when a loud voice 6 inches from my ear say loudly "Wow! Are you an artist?" I was so startled that I screamed! Scary. So it is with this profession.

What would you ask? Are you the curious sort? Me too.