Carol Soderlund has returned to Hudson River Valley Art Workshops to teach her “Dyeing to Discharge” workshop.

Her students are discovering the possibilities of discharge– the removal of color from dyed cloth. Using both commercial fabrics and cloth dyed specifically for discharge, they are selectively removing and replacing color.

Carol always emphasizes safe studio practices, even though the weather has been so nice that the class is working outdoors most of the time.

Looks like martians have landed!

I think this is our first “plein air” fiber art class. I’m hoping to get pictures of the incredible fabrics the group is creating on the cloths line that we are stringing up between two trees.

The pool is also a big hit with the class, with several folks taking a dip every morning before breakfast. This is the first time that fiber art workshops have been scheduled in the summer.

This is Mark playing “sea monster” with Hudson.

On the final day of the workshop, David Dunlop took his group to Olana, the historic home of Frederick Church.

It was an absolutely beautiful day!

This is David giving an individual demo to Judy on painting Van Gogh style.

Everyone like to paint at Olana, not only for the incredible inspiration, but also because there is plenty of shady spots to paint from! This is at the edge of the large pond located near the barns of Olana.

This student set up right at the water’s edge!

The reflections on the water that day were brilliant!

The clouds against the blue, blue sky were mesmerizing.

On Wednesday, David Dunlop took his class to John Boyd Thatcher Park, which is long the Helderberg Escarpment, one of the richest fossil-bearing formations in the world – nice views, too!

David got his exercise going from person to person to offer assistance with their painting.

A group of classmates set up on the little bridge over the top of a waterfall.

Each day David covered different art period techniques and showed people how to paint in the style of the past masters.

While I waiting for everyone to finish the lunch I delivered, I took a quick hike down the Indian Ladder Trail.

You descend the first part via staircase and get to admire the view and marvelous rock formations.

Further along is this waterfall. The trail leads under the waterfall, but I didn’t go that far because I didn’t have anything to protect my camera from the spray. This is the same waterfall that the artists were set up at the top.

When I return to the picnic table, everyone was already enjoying their sandwiches.

The class participants weren’t the only ones interested in a good lunch. This little chipmunk perched in this tree next to the table keeping an eye out for stray bread crumbs.

On Wednesday, David Dunlop took his class to John Boyd Thatcher Park, which is long the Helderberg Escarpment, one of the richest fossil-bearing formations in the world – nice views, too!

David got his exercise going from person to person to offer assistance with their painting.

A group of classmates set up on the little bridge over the top of a waterfall.

Each day David covered different art period techniques and showed people how to paint in the style of the past masters.

While I waiting for everyone to finish the lunch I delivered, I took a quick hike down the Indian Ladder Trail.

You descend the first part via staircase and get to admire the view and marvelous rock formations.

Further along is this waterfall. The trail leads under the waterfall, but I didn’t go that far because I didn’t have anything to protect my camera from the spray. This is the same waterfall that the artists were set up at the top.

When I return to the picnic table, everyone was already enjoying their sandwiches.

The class participants weren’t the only ones interested in a good lunch. This little chipmunk perched in this tree next to the table keeping an eye out for stray bread crumbs.

David Dunlop is here this week to teach the historic methods of plein air painting. He is taking his group to locations that were the favorites of the Hudson River painters like Cole and Church.

Today the class went to the top of Kaaterskill Falls. This is the former site of the Laurel House, a historic resort in the Catskills that operated from 1852 – 1967. The resort is no longer there, but the stunning vistas are! It is a great place to paint.

David Daniels, master of brilliant watercolors, was here teaching a 5 day workshop last week. Everyone was having such a wonderful time that that week just flew by.

I did a chance to pop into the studio to see them at work a couple of times.

This was a studio workshop, so folks worked from sketches and/or photographs. With all of the conveniently located electrical plugs all over the studio, working from photos on a laptop was easy.

Dave brought two of his paints to the workshop. He happened to be taking them, after the workshop, to an exhibit in Oneonta, NY.

He doesn’t mount his paintings under glass, as a lot of watercolorists do. Instead he varnishes them, providing protection to the painting but eliminating the worry of glare from a glass covering. One caveat though is that due to the varnish, his paintings are no longer, technically speaking, watercolors.

The class turned out some great work. I wish I had taken more individual photos!

But not to worry, Dave will be back teaching for us in 2012!

Rain could not dampen the spirits of Lorenzo Chavez’s workshop.

Our “order” for sunny days was delayed (until this week when we have a studio workshop), but Lorenzo’s enthusiasm for pastels was caught by the whole group and they laughed and enjoyed themselves thoroughly!

Daily cookie time didn’t hurt, either!

Everyone in the class said that Lorenzo was extremely generous with his time, often spending way beyond class time in the studio helping anyone who needed advice and assistance with their painting

In between sprinkles and downpours, the rain let up long enough for some folks to go outside on our grounds to paint.

This weekend Lorenzo Chavez came to us from Colorado to teach a plein air pastel and oil workshop. He was at once struck with how GREEN it was in Greenville!

Today he is finding out why it is so green – it is raining. Hopefully the sun will come back out this afternoon, which is usually the case.

Yesterday, however, the group was treated to a magnificent day and spent it at our favorite local farm. The red barns and out-buildings always provide great contrast with the green trees.

Lorenzo did a demo first and then the group went off to find their own subject.

Elizabeth Apgar-Smith arrived today to teach a 3-day workshop on landscapes in oil. Elizabeth is a wonderful multi-talented artist who has taught for the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops for years.

She most often teaches a pastel workshop, but we decided to mix it up this year and have her teach an oil painting workshop.

It was a beautiful day. Right after breakfast the group immediately set off for Olana, the historic home of Frederick Church, in Hudson.

When Mark delivered lunch he took these photos.

This is Elizabeth (Betsy) giving a demo.

Below are the picnic tables set up for lunch.

This is a view of the house from the back – still very interesting with lots of intricate details.

The house tour is definitely worth taking and they have recently opened some of the upper rooms for the tour.

This is a new dish for this year and has been very well received. So, after multiple requests for the recipe, I’m finally getting around to putting it on the blog!

This recipe serves 8

Ingredients:

8 bone-in, skin-on large chicken thighs
Kosher salt and black pepper
8 portobello mushrooms
3 medium scallions (green parts only), cut into 3-inch lengths
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs mirin
1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
2 Tbs. fresh orange juice
1 3/4 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line the bottom of a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and lightly oil the top of foil.

Arrange the portobello mushroom caps (stems removed) gill sides up on the prepared cookie sheet. Arrange 2 or 3 scallion pieces on top of the mushrooms, then put a chicken thigh, skin side up, on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast until the edges of the chicken begin to brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thick part of the biggest thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, combine the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and orange zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

In a small bowl, stir the orange juice and cornstarch; add this mixture to the saucepan. Return to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.

To serve, transfer the chicken, scallions, mushroom to dinner plates, drizzle with the sauce and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Leftover sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks and is also great on steak or salmon.