Escalante Canyons Art Festival

Helga Watkins: Design for Landscape Painting

COST: $180 /  Maximum of 8; Minimum of 4 / All ability levels

It is convenient at times to think of composition as equivalent to design in representative painting.

While composition is a critical factor, there is also a range of other substantial design factors that determine a painting’s final impact. In this workshop, we will examine the elements of design (of which composition is one) and how to apply these effectively in landscape subjects.

Plein Air painting, as anyone who’s ever tried it knows, is an especially challenging form of artmaking. It requires the artist to improvise upon and organize the chaos of the natural world, while painting confidently and efficiently within tight time constraints and subject to the vagaries of the outdoors.

To produce effective work under these circumstances, you need really a solid framework and strategy.

During the first morning, we will formally examine the elements of design as they relate to landscape painting. We will paint outdoors in the afternoon, and then continue through the second day.  Participants will remain in general proximity, to make sure there is time for plenty of individual feedback from Helga and to provide opportunity to learn from one another. To conclude we will reconvene with our work indoors to enjoy and discuss our work.