The Workshop Experience

Waiting for the van, near Joucas

I have just returned from a painting workshop in Provence, France, taught by the inimitable Maggie Siner. Not only is Maggie a gifted painter and teacher, she lived in the Luberon area of Provence for years, so she is intimately familiar with the landscape. Between Maggie and our host David Atkinson (owner of Arts in Provence, and also a talented painter), they always seemed to know the location that would present the best opportunity for understanding and implementing the lesson du jour.

Our first sessions were focused on simplifying the landscape. We were challenged to be selective in framing our subject, taking just one slice of the whole smorgasbord. (As you can see from the top photo, the landscape in the Luberon presents a tempting array of things to paint). After framing our subject, we were to picture it in just three or four simple shapes (i.e., field, trees, mountains, sky, as seen below). We would then create those shapes with gestural brushstrokes, and fine-tune their color relationships. 

This is the subject of my painting shown below.

I have written previously about using this approach, which was introduced to me by Maggie a couple of years ago. It is almost miraculous how little detail is required to make a finished, satisfying painting, if you can start with beautiful shapes and get the color relationships properly keyed. It's a "Eureka!" experience! 

The last photo shows my favorite work of the morning. I thought it conveyed a strong sense of place, and the shapes were pleasing and varied. Wish they could all start out so well! Please check back for upcoming posts...I will be writing about various aspects of the workshop over the next few weeks.

"Luberon Fields, I"
5.5 x 9.5
(c) Lesley Powell