Rock Gardens Inn Blog

Art Workshops at Rock Gardens Inn - Summer 2010

2010 is shaping up to be an exhilarating summer at Rock Gardens Inn. Today we are excited to bring you some information about our upcoming summer Art Workshops. Every summer we have a number of weeks dedicated to art and artists, when we bring talented and renowned teachers here to the inn to provide guidance and critique for students of all levels and areas of interest. We are very much looking forward to welcoming back returning artists, and meeting new ones, starting on the very first week of the season.

This year we begin our Art Workshops with an Artist's Retreat Week (June 13-18) with artist in residence David Beynon Pena. David has taught both landscape and figure painting workshops here in previous summers, and is a member of the faculty at the New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, as well as having taught at the Art Students League, the National Academy of Design, the Montclair Museum, and the School of Visual Arts. The retreat week is not so much a formal class as an opportunity for artists to come and paint as they like, while still having the advantage of an experienced teacher to help them if they wish.

Our second Art Workshop will be taught by returning artist Carl Schmalz, and is entitled simply "Watercolor Painting Workshop" (June 20-25). Professor Schmalz studied with, and taught watercolor for, Eliot O'Hara. He completed his Ph.D. in Art History while teaching and administering the Museum at Bowdoin College. He will be conducting daily demonstrations and critiques for all students.

Returning artist Bjӧrn Runquist will teach the first of our weekend workshops (June 25-27) entitled "Painting Plein-Air: In and Out of the Studio". Artists participating in this workshop will begin with the basics and focus on the dynamics of building a painting, particularly the aspect of light within a painting. Mr. Runquist's art has been shown up and down the east coast, and he is currently represented in galleries in Maine, Connecticut, and South Carolina.

Karen O'Neil returns to host our fourth workshop of 2010 entitled "Direct, Fresh Painting Workshop" (June 27-July 2). Ms. O'Neil is currently an instructor of painting at the Art Students League of New York, and has been teaching for over a decade. Her work is represented in galleries in New York, Indiana, and Florida. Students in this workshop will focus on color, specifically on the atmospheric effects of light on color at different times of the day. Ms. O'Neil will be assisted by her husband, Art Students League instructor Peter Clapper, who will be aiding students with both drawing and observational skills.

We are very excited to welcome two new artists to the 2010 Art Workshops.

The first artist is David Dewey who will be teaching his "Landscape Watercolor Workshop" (July 4-9). Mr. Dewey has a long history of art instruction, teaching at Parson's School of Design from 1974-1997, at the National Academy School of Fine Arts, and most recently at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts. He currently shows at the Bernaducci-Meisel Gallery in New York City, and the Caldbeck Gallery in Rockland, Maine. Artists attending this workshop will focus on the watercolor medium, on-location painting methodology, composition, and color.

Our second new artist is Frank Webb, A.W.S. (DF) N.W.S. He will be teaching a workshop entitled "Watercolor, Esthetics, and Energies" (July 11-16). Mr. Webb has been a professional artist for sixty years, as well as having conducted workshops in every state in the Union, as well as across the globe. He studied at the Fleisher Art Memorial and with painter Edgar Whitney. He was included in "20 Great Watercolor Teachers" by the American Artist Magazine "Watercolor". Artists in Mr. Webb's workshop will learn pictorial design, which includes planning, color, tonal values, expression, and visual theme. Every participant will have a one on one with Mr. Webb every day of the workshop.

Our summer series of Art Workshops concludes with returning artist David Kapp's new workshop "Painting and Drawing the Contemporary Landscape" (August 28-September 2). Mr. Kapp's work can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; The Museum of the City, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas; Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Oregon; and the Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, Maine. He has taught at the Vermont Studio Center, Brandeis University, Fordham University, and Haverford College. Artists working with Mr. Kapp will explore the unconventional aspects of the contemporary landscape, with a focus on pictorial movement through space, and use of light.

Finally, Lois Dodd returns to Rock Gardens Inn this September to teach her "Outdoor Painting Workshop" (September 12-17). Ms. Dodd attended The Cooper Union and was one of five artists to establish the cooperative Tanager Gallery. She is an elected member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters , and of the National Academy of Design. Her work is currently represented in the Alexandre Gallery in New York City. Artists attending her workshop will work on the grounds, or in the studio building, as Ms. Dodd mingles and offers help and advice. Group critiques will end each day of the workshop.

Those are our summer 2010 Art Workshop offerings. We hope that you are as excited about them as we are! Please take a look at the Art Workshops page of our website for more information. We look forward to seeing you all this summer.

Art Before the Fall

Our early summer Art Workshops have come and gone.  Students and teachers alike expressed their enjoyment, and their anticipation and excitement for next year's workshops.  However, this summer's offerings aren't finished yet.  We are very excited about our upcoming end-of-the-season workshops.

For our first we welcome new teacher David Kapp, who's workshop is entitled "Painting and Drawing the Contemporary Landscape".  It will involve outdoor and indoor work, with a potential evening field-trip.  The conceptual focus will be the exploration of the unconventional aspects of the contemporary landscape.  Our final workshop is with returning artist Lois Dodd, who will be teaching her "Outdoor Painting Workshop".  The workshop will be conducted primarily out of doors, weather permitting, and Ms. Dodd will mingle with the students set up about the grounds of the Inn, aiding and encouraging as needed.  Group critiques will follow each day's work.

For those interested in either of these Art Workshops, there is still space available.  Mr. Kapp's workshop has both overnight and day spaces left available, and Ms. Dodd's workshop has a few overnight spaces left.  If you are interested in joining either of these brilliant artists and would like more information please follow this link to the Art Workshops Page of our website.

Sunshine and Rain

Without a doubt this has been one of the rainiest summers I can remember.  Our lawns are saturated in areas where they never have been before.  One of our small cutting gardens has been sitting under water on and off for weeks now; I am amazed that most of the flowers are still alive.

Despite the rain the artists studying here have been very good natured about it all, many staying inside the studio building to work, while a few take cover in our gazebo, or out on the covered dock, to paint.

And on days like today, when the sun comes out and the water sparkles, everyone's mood is lifted, we feel renewed and hope that summer has finally come to Maine.

Art Workshops at Rock Gardens Inn

Every summer Rock Gardens Inn hosts a series of Art Workshops, spread out over the four month season.  These events are a chance for aspiring, and even established, artists to come and hone their craft with some of the best living artists.  The rocky coastal vistas, and the cool breeze off the water on a sunny day seem to be an endless source of inspiration.

Over the yeast we have had a bevy of different artists teach at the Inn.  In past years teachers have included Charles Reid, Alfred Chadbourn, Charles Sovek, Ed Betts, Judi Betts, Susan Shatter, Wolf Kahn, Everett Raymond Kinstler, Timothy J. Clark, Dale Ratcliff, David Pena, and Robert Seyffert.  Artists have come from all across the country, and even from other countries, to study with such esteemed teachers.

This summer our lineup is equally exciting.  We will be hosting workshops taught by Janet Fish, Carl Schmalz, Bjorn Runquist, Karen O'Neil, Lois Dodd, and two artists new to Rock Gardens Inn, Tom McCobb and David Kapp.  Most workshops still have space available, so if you are new to art, or if you are interested in furthering your work under the tutelage of these renowned artists, please check our Art Workshops Page for more details, and call to sign up!