Beyond the Photograph – Oil Painting with Peter Fiore

Peter Fiore, best known for painting light and his striking use of color, recently taught a 5-day workshop at Hudson River Valley Art Workshops. He held his audience’s rapt attention with his instruction and stories.

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He used a large flat screen monitor to display subject photos from his iPad during his demonstrations each day.

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The group was very happy with the workshop. Just look at those fabulous smiles!

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Peter spent a lot of individual time with each student at their easel.

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The conversations continued during lunch, dinner, and breakfast — not to mention cookie time (although I think the talked turned to cookies at cookie time!)

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The class also enjoyed doing a little chocolate shopping at our in-house chocolaterie – Life By Chocolate.

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We also had a winner in this class! Fran Mehm won the 2nd prize in our Early-Bird Enrollment prize drawing (automatically entered when she signed up for Peter’s class before March of this year.) The second prize was plein aire easel (generously donated by Cheap Joe’s Art Supply).

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Although this was a studio class, the grounds of the inn provided plenty of landscape photo opportunity.

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Both Peter and his talented sculptor and illustrator wife, Barbara Fiore, has blogged about their experience during this class. Check out their blogs:

Peter Foire: Thoughts on Painting

Barbara Fiore: Life with Peter

Watercolor Workshop with Frank Webb

Frank Webb (AWS, NWS) of Edgewood, Pennsylvania, studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Working as a professional artist since 1947, he has received more than 90 major awards including a Dolphin Fellowship of the American Watercolor Society.

Frank has regular taught at the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops for decades and it is always a treat to have him here.

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We had couple of birthdays during the workshop.

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Our sou chef, Nancy, who makes the desserts each day, turned our regular (very popular) chocolate beet cake into a lovely birthday cake!

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History in the Making with David Dunlop

David Dunlop, a modern day old master, was teaching another workshop for us this past July. It is always a joy to have David here. His enthusiasm for painting and painting history is contagious!

The week was a trifle hot, as it has been for most of the summer, but the group was able to find painting locations that were surprisingly protected from the heat – in the shade of tree, by the water, or up the mountains.

The first day they all went to Minekill State Park, which is about 45 minutes from our inn, but through some beautiful and inspiring farm country.

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It’s always nice when the park has picnic tables in the shade!

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This is a shot of one of the many interesting barns I passed on the way back form the park.

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Another day was spent at Olana, always a favorite.

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David will be returning to teach another wonderful workshop in 2014.

BBQ, Rain, and Digital Printing on Alternative Surfaces

The always fun and amazing Kathyanne White was here the week of the 4th of July to teach a 5-day workshop on digital printing on alternative surfaces. Kathyanne brought an Epson printer and a whole bunch of fun supplies for printing on things like Lutradur, aluminum cans, tyvek, watercolor paper, and more.

She also brought along a number of examples of her work in which she used printed images is a material for her collaged and assembled pieces.

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The first 3 days were spent experimenting with the printing – printing the same image on multiple types of surfaces. Each person pinned up their images on their design wall.

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The final two days were spent working on using the images in assemblages and collage.

Some folks used sewing to add line and texture to the images, as well as a means to assemble the images.

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Here is a piece that will use a tree branch of a means to hang a number of small related pieces.

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In the middle of all this workshop creativity, we had a 4th of July BBQ, even though I think half the class was Canadian!

We have tried doing a BBQ in previous years when a workshop has fallen on the 4th, but all agreed that this year was the best. This year the BBQ was moved poolside. This made it much easier to cook and serve everyone, rather than asking people to pick up their food up by the Main Inn and then bring it down to the poolside tables.

Here is Chef “Tex” Mark ready at the grill.

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And here are the class members hanging by the pool just waiting for the dinner bell to be sounded.

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Regina, Kadi, and Bob (our staff) were also ready to serve up the BBQ feast.

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The menu was grill Jamacian chicken, chicken sausages, and brutwurst. Along with fresh corn on the cob, baked beans, and blueberry pie with ice cream for dessert.

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Let the feasting begin!

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Then silence descended over the pool area as everyone set to enjoying their meal. Nothing could stop this crew from having a marvelous time, not even the “refresher course” of a bit of a 2 minute rain shower! Luckily most people had chosen to sit at a table with an umbrella over it. Those that weren’t so lucky dried off quickly in the sun that came out shining immediately after the shower.

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The poolside party continued long after dinner.