"Imperia Prima" Accepted into OPA Eastern Regional Exhibition

She's packed in her box and ready to go!

"Imperia Prima" will be shipping out soon to Addison Art Gallery in Cape Cod where she'll be included in the 2011 Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition.

The Eastern Regional this year had about 800 entries, and we're very pleased to be among the only 95 paintings selected as finalists.

Most of the exhibition is available now to view online, and the real thing will hang from September 17 - October 15 at Addison Art Gallery in Orleans MA.

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Oil Painters of America
2011 Eastern Regional Exhibition of Traditional Oils
Sept. 17 - Oct. 15, 2011
opening recep: Sat. Sept. 17, 5:30-7:30 pm
Addison Art Gallery
43 Route 28, Orleans MA 02653
508-255-6200 -- art@AddisonArt.com

New Works: "A Spot of Tea"

I just love this simple little still-life. I'm always amazed how Charles can convey so much with so few brushstrokes. (12 x 16, oil on mounted canvas)

"A Spot of Tea"   12 x 16   oil on mounted canvas

Two Figure-Painting Workshops Scheduled this Fall

Both the Art School at Binders and The Winsor Gallery have invited Charles back to teach "The Essentials of Figure Painting" - a 3 1/2 day oil painting workshop which addresses underlying structure and sculptural relationships within the figure.

Please contact the hosting venues for registration information. The Thursday evening demonstrations for both workshops will be open to the interested public for $20.

Sept. 29 - Oct. 2, 2011

Atlanta GA
The Essentials of Figure Painting
The Art School at Binders
$350 + $50 model fee
contact person: Eli Pelizza
404-237-6331 ext. 203

Here's the direct link to the workshop's information page at BindersArt.com

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Oct. 27 - 30, 2011

McDonough GA
The Essentials of Figure Painting
The Winsor Gallery
$350 + $50 model fee
contact person: Vicki Anglyn
770-957-7292

And here's the PDF version of the flyer to print or share!

New Works: "Tomatillos and Terracotta"

This lovely new painting started out as a demonstration piece for Charles' recent still-life workshop. We both liked it so much at the end of the evening that he brought it back to the studio after the workshop and worked on it for a little while longer. (16 x 20, oil on panel)

"Tomatillos and Terracotta"   16 x 20   oil on panel

He had originally planned some other type of fruit to accompany that beautiful terracotta vase, but when we stopped by the grocery store on the way to the demo that afternoon "just to see about other options" those vibrant green tomatillos struck him as perfect. Always be willing to change at the last minute for something better!

Workshop Students Excited about the Still Life

Charles recently taught two workshops focused on painting the still life. And from what we've heard from several participants since, he's also ignited in them a new-found excitement for the genre in the process. We love reading those emails from workshop students!

ArtWorks Chattanooga was our workshop host in April. Housed on the ground floor of an old industrial building in downtown Chattanooga TN, owner Lisa Seago's new instructional space will soon see the likes of Bill Davidson, Dee Beard Dean, and Nancy Franke. We were very pleased to be Lisa's choice to lead off this procession of well-known southeastern painters and workshop instructors, and we're currently in the process of scheduling with her through 2012.

We then brought the still life excitement back home where, during the first weekend in June, Charles was teaching at The Winsor Gallery, just off the square in historic McDonough GA. This was the second painting workshop of his that's been hosted by the folks there, and we're looking forward to returning again in October for "The Essentials of Figure Painting."

If you'd like to see firsthand what all the excitement was about, photos from these two workshops are available online. Many thanks to Lisa Seago and June Teuscher for the Chattanooga pics.

Photos from the ArtWorks Chattanooga workshop.
Photos from The Winsor Gallery workshop.

ArtWorks Chattanooga
ArtWorks Chattanooga on Facebook
The Winsor Gallery
The Winsor Gallery on Facebook
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Charles will be teaching two more oil painting workshops in the Atlanta area in the coming months. Details and links will be posted here on the blog as they are finalized.

The Essentials of Figure Painting
Sept. 29 - Oct. 2, 2011
The Art School at Binders - Atlanta GA

The Essentials of Figure Painting
Oct. 20 - 23, 2011
The Winsor Gallery - McDonough GA

"Figures in the Garden" Celebrates a Friend's Triumphant Spring

What a great way to spend a Saturday!

Nineteen artists and 4 figure models from the Atlanta area came together on a beautiful Saturday in May in a show of support and celebration for a fellow artist and friend during her medical recovery.
 
The models, arranged amidst the beauty of an intimate Japanese garden, donated their time while the participating artists' entry fees raised in excess of $500.

Aside from raising funds, organizer Kristina Laurendi Havens laid out the main goals of the day when she charged the artists that morning to "create beautiful art and send good thoughts to Marghe."

New Works: "Alexey at the Lakeshore"

"Alexey at the Lakeshore"   12 x 16   oil on canvas panel

(12 x 16, oil on canvas panel)

On the last day of the Portrait Society of America's 2011 National Conference in Atlanta over 100 artists traveled to Piedmont Park for a plein air paint-out. Each group of 10 was accompanied by a member of the conference faculty. Charles was with the group led by Los Angeles painter Alexey Steele.

As Alexey began a small demonstration on the very edge of the lake, Charles was struck by the scene and the patterns created by the light. He had to set up and work fast - he didn't know how long the group would stay there!

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Piedmont Park, Atlanta GA 
Alexey Steele 
Portrait Society of America

Portrait Society of America 2011 National Conference

Last night I was flipping through a beautiful imported book about the 19th century Russian artist Ilya Repin. Couldn't read a word of it, but it sure was pretty to look at! Charles picked up this rare treasure when the Portrait Society of America was in town a few weeks ago for their annual national conference. Over 800 artists descended on Atlanta for a very busy weekend.

The conference opened on Thursday night with the "Face-Off" demonstrations. Fifteen artists, all members of the conference faculty or previous award winners, painted 5 models in a huge studio set up in the hotel's main ballroom. It was a packed house as some spectators took seats to watch their favorites, while others prowled the circuit in order to see them all.

The next 3 days were full of more demonstrations and lectures. David Leffel painted a self portrait on the main stage Friday morning, Jeremy Lipking painted a nude figure Friday evening to a packed house, and Michael Shane Neal painted a moving target (his mentor, Raymond Kinstler) on Saturday morning. Lectures on the business side of art and portfolio critiques were also offered.

Saturday evening was the Banquet and Awards Presentation where the International Portrait Competition winners were announced, followed by the keynote address by Dr. Johan Cedarlund, director of the Zorn Museum in Mora, Sweden. He gave an excellent talk on the history of turn-of-the-century Swedish artist Anders Zorn (1860-1920).

On Sunday afternoon over 100 artists loaded onto buses for the trek to Atlanta's Piedmont Park. Once there groups of 10, each led by a member of the conference faculty, spread out for an afternoon of plein-air painting. A lot of these portrait artists got to experience the joy of painting on location for the first time! Charles was with Los Angeles painter Alexey Steele's group and as Alexey was giving a short demonstration down by the water's edge, Charles was struck by the scene, grabbed his brushes and set to work!

Overall it was a great weekend. We discovered a new brand of brushes we'd been hearing a lot of buzz about (Rosemary & Co. Brushes) and bought several beautiful imported books we can't read! (Dick Bell Book Maven). We met a lot of new people and made several new friends, and are definitely looking forward to the next time.

If you're interested, there are a few more pictures from the weekend in an album on Charles' Facebook page.

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Portrait Society of America
David Leffel
Jeremy Lipking
Michael Shane Neal
Anders Zorn
Zorn Museum, Sweden
Alexey Steele
Rosemary & Co. Artist Brushes
Dick Bell Book Maven

Still Life Workshop, June 2-5 2011, McDonough GA

Painting the Still Life
hosted by The Winsor Gallery
McDonough GA
June 2 - 5, 2011
www.TheWinsorGallery.com
contact the gallery for registration information
PDF version of the flyer to download and share

This summer, we're pleased to be returning to The Winsor Gallery in McDonough GA for this 3 1/2 day workshop. The weekend will consist of a Thursday evening demonstration by Charles, followed by 3 full days of painting from life.

Informative and passionate, Charles approaches art instruction by addressing visual principles and the material power of technique to equip the student with the skills to fulfill their own artistic vision. "I understand the artistic hunger for good instruction and I don't waste time in my class with unnecessary gimmicks or tricks. I teach the fundamentals that all artists can use regardless of style or subject matter. ...Observation from life, not photos, is how your eyes, your mind, and your hand can develop artistic honesty."

"A Study in Blue"   12 x 16   oil on panel