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 BjÓ§rn 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.
