Instructor: Maria Josenhans

Title: Demystifying the Landscape

Medium: Markers/oils, acrylics

Level: Beginner to intermediate

Dates: August 21-24, 2023 (4 days: Monday-Thursday, 9am to 4pm)

Fees: Early Bird—$500; $550 after February 25

About the workshop

It is often said that in painting, colour gets all the glory while value does all the heavy lifting…So true! Value (think grey scale) is truly the bones of a painting, and in this workshop you will learn how to strengthen your image by utilizing the concept of Notan* and then pair that with strong brushwork/mark-making. In essence, by removing the complex and emotional layer of color, you can focus on demystifying the landscape.

*Notan is a Japanese term that refers to the arrangement of dark and light elements in a painting.

Course outline

Days 1 & 2 you will learn a sketching process using markers, and days 3 & 4 you will work with oils in black and white.

During the course of the workshop you can expect to:

—work from life outdoors

—watch demos

—see in terms of shape and value

—learn to simplify your subject

—organize dynamic compositions

—work small

—explore brushwork and mark-making

—have group discussions

All four days we will endeavor to work from life using our immediate surroundings/landscape as well as going a bit farther afield and exploring the beach and nearby coastline – all as weather permits.

Students will need to have their own portable painting set-ups.

Supplies list

Download the supplies list for the workshop.

About the Instructor

A passionate landscape painter, Maria Josenhans creates oil paintings both outdoors on location and in her North Vancouver studio. As an artist for nearly four decades, Maria’s work plays back and forth between representational and abstract as she allows each painting to find its own unique path. Her career has been shaped by long periods of immersion in large format photography, working as an illustrator, training, competing and adjudicating Highland dance, teaching, and traveling the world by bicycle. Maria holds a BFA with Honors from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA, has been the recipient of numerous awards and grants, and continues to take part in Invitational Plein Air events both nationally and abroad.

On the web

Visit the artist’s website at: www.mariajosenhans.com

listen to interviews at: artful minds and opus

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