eScape - workshops for art and artists

1. General Workshop Information:
All sessions are totally positive and encouraging. The manner is relaxed and casual. They are intended to be a pleasant break with an opportunity to advance your artistic development.

En Plein Air Activities: The emphasis is on structural composition, aerial perspective and outdoor light. Students are shown vital tips that help one quickly capture the essence of the subject.

Indoor Activities: Our workshop facility includes an indoor and history space with lots of atmosphere, an ideal space for drawing and/or painting. We concentrate on basic painting and drawing skills, principles of composition and important color concepts. In addition, linear and aerial perspective is taught. Those more new to painting are instructed in the use of materials and equipment and start with a simple painting setup. Every student is instructed according to individual needs.

Tuition: Fees for all workshops (except the Art Party) are $80 per workshop/day with 25 percent deposit (i.e., $20 per workshop/day) required to hold your place. This deposit must be received by May 1, 2008 with your completed registration.

Early Bird Discount offered on some workshops: If all fees are received by May 1, 2008, a discount of $20 per day (25 percent!) is saved , thus making the effective fee for Early Birds just $60 per course/day.

Maximum Group Size: To give individual attention in all workshops, group size is kept to a maximum of 12 artists.

General Daily Schedule: Each morning includes breakfast for those who are guests of the Admiral’s Adventure Bed & Breakfast until 9:30, followed by 2.5 hours of instruction including demonstrations and drawing or painting with individual coaching followed by a light lunch for all.

The afternoons are artist self-directed for you to follow through on the topics of interest to you, with more individual coaching provided at your own level and using your specific work and style. Previous students have found they tend to get the most value from individual instruction if they paint their own subjects in their own way. Gary is good at helping in the application of new knowledge to your natural way of working which results in noticeable personal growth.

At 4 p.m. each day, formal classes end. Artists are on their own for supper and evening activities.

Supplies & Easels: These are the responsibility of the artists. Please bring your own supplies or purchase them in St. John’s. Gary has some supplies which you may purchase.

Easels: Can be purchased for you well in advance. There are a few good choices and preferred prices. Email you interest to Gary at garys@rogers.com

Certificates of achievement: These are given out on the last day of each course to each participant.

2. Levels of Artist Experience:
To help you decide what workshops would benefit you most, here is an indication of the experience level(s) that each workshop is geared towards. This said, classifications of this sort are typically very arbitrary and do not necessarily reflect individual talents since we all progress at different speeds and in different ways. If in doubt, please email Gary to discuss your placement.

Youth: Generally, this means artists aged 16 to 19. Youths are welcome to attend any of the workshops except the Art Party. The designation is more to point out that the Youth workshop consists of young adults and focuses more on teenage interests.

Beginner: Most artists feel like beginners from time to time, especially with every new exploration. This is very healthy. The Beginner designation means there are easy exercises to ensure awareness of and practice with key principles that are essential for seeing and painting. This is a foundation level of instruction and practice.

Intermediate and Advanced: Based on your experience and overall ease with your tools, you likely have a good idea that you would be comfortable in this range. Workshops for Intermediate and Advanced students are grouped together because each artist is coached on specific individual skills as needs reveal themselves.

Classical: Classical art training has always been taught in Europe and has just recently been revived in North America. This training can be grueling and certainly time consuming. The ‘Classical Retreat’, therefore, is for those who either have been through this training or are currently following this rigorous training and just want to retreat with like minded individuals to work on their own projects.

DATE OF WORKSHOP	WORKSHOP TITLE (duration)
TBA	PNTDRW 085 Art Party (1)
TBA	PNT 200 Painting ‘SCAPES’ (5)
TBA	PNTDRW 075 Art Sampler ~ weekend (2)
TBA	PNTDRW 100 Young Artists of Tomorrow (5)
TBA	DRW 150 Drawing Portraits ~ weekend (2)
TBA	PNTDRW 300 Art in the City (5)
TBA	DRW 250 Drawing Portraits ~(5)
TBA	DRW 200 Luscious Pastels weekend (2 )
TBA	DRW 210 Luscious Pastels ~ (5)
TBA	PNTDRW 400 Classical Retreat (5)
TBA	PNTDRW 075 Art Sampler ~ weekend (2)
TBA	DRW 350 Speed Drawing (People) (5)
TBA	DRW 150 Drawing Portraits ~ weekend (2)
TBA	DRW 250 Experimental Drawing (5)
TBA	PNTDRW 300 Art in the City ~ (5)
TBA	PNT 210 Painting Still Life (5)
TBA	PNTDRW 085 Art Party (1)

TBA	Gary's Summer Exhibition

PNTDRW 075 – ART SAMPLER (Discover your interest)
Duration: 2 days
Start dates: Saturday, TBA (first session)
Saturday,TBA (second session)
Cost: $200 (No Early Bird Offer)
There are many ways to paint and to draw, many ways of thinking about these processes, and many easy exercises that make an immediate impact on one’s understanding of visual concepts and the ability to ‘see’. These 2 days are for Beginners to sample a variety of these activities in order to discover what directions for their creativity they find interesting enough to pursue further.

PNTDRW 100 – YOUNG ARTISTS OF TOMORROW
Duration: 5 days
Start date: Monday, TBA
Cost: $400 (or $300 Early Bird - what is this?)

Invited are youths ages16 to 19 who are serious about drawing and painting skills. Including time for both creativity and skills development, this session encourages the artists to select from alternative projects. It also gives the opportunity to understand various career paths for artists. Please bring some large pictures of your favourite people, athletes, actors, musicians, family or pets. One of the pictures masy be selected for a drawing demonstration. Your pictures are the inspiration for some of your projects.

Supplies recommended: Paper, pastels (oil or dry pastels). Paint is also acceptable, preferrably acrylics. If oil paint is your medium of preference then please substitute odorless solvent for the turpentine. Bring your own canvases or canvas boards t paint on. Newsprint, pencils, conté and charcoal will be provided.

DRW 150 – DRAWING PORTRAITS- Youth & Beginner
Duration: 2 day weekend
Start date: Saturday,TBA
Cost: $160 (or $120 Early Bird - what is his?)

In this weekend workshop Gary shares his concepts and practices for capturing likeness in drawing portraits. He will teach you how to observe and record individual features as well as overall impression. Students will draw each other as well as doing a self portrait from a mirror. Students will be exposed to different artists' works and short demos will also be included.

DRW 250 – DRAWING PORTRAITS- Intermediate & Advanced
Duration: 5 days
Start date: Monday,TBA
Cost: $400 (or $300 Early Bird - what is this?)

Supplies are provided for drawing; however, for those of you who plan to paint, bring all your painting supplies, your easels, canvases, paints brushes, palettes, palette knife and rags. Contact us if supplies are a problem.

PNT 200 – PAINTING ‘SCAPES’medium of your choice
Duration: 5 days
Start date: Monday, TBA
Cost: $400 (or $300 Early Bird - what is this?)

Enjoy painting ‘SCAPES’ en plein air (LandSCAPEs, SeaSCAPEs, and CitySCAPEs). St. John’s offers wonderful views to capture within short walks.

The famous, Signal Hill is only a short hike away. (See Website under About Summer 2007 in St. John's.) Super keen painters who like history and/or beautiful sunrises head out into the predawn to enjoy, photograph and paint the sunrise that begins every Canadian day at that very easternmost point all before breakfast and the normal daily workshop begins. For tose who prefertto avoid a hike, there is more than enough seafront scenery to paint right from the Admiral's Adventure.

For painting outdoors please bring appropriate clothing and walking shoes. You may work in the medium of your choice.

Supplies recommended. Bring your easels, canvases, paints brushes, palettes, palette knife and rags. Contact us if supplies are a problem.

PNT 210 – PAINTING STILL LIFE medium of your choice
Duration: 5 days
Start date: Monday, TBA
Cost: $400 (or $300 Early Bird - what is this?)

Either bring your own special, loved, Still Life objects or simply explore the studio and seashore to find intriguing objects. Rusty fishing objects, and old tools, as well as mysterious found objects can be totally fascinating to paint. Certainly this genre of painting gives artists the most control. YOU pick the items, YOU choose the lighting, the temperature, the humidity, the placement, the technique, the environment, etc., etc. … and the subject stays still so you can paint at your leisure.

Supplies recommended. Bring your easels, canvases, paints brushes, palettes, palette knife and rags. Contact us if supplies are a problem.

PNTDRW 300 – ART IN THE CITY acrylics or oil pastels
Duration: 5 days
Start date: Monday, TBA (first session) (five-day workshop)
Cost: $400 (or $300 Early Bird - what is this?)

At different moments cities are vibrant or dull, busy or calm, joyful or moody, empty or crowded. Urban artists enjoy drawing and painting both inside and outside (weather permitting). The steep streets and spirited colourful housing of St. John’s cry out to be painted. Not that CitySCAPES have to exclude people! With concepts of virtual time exposure and speed drawing one can easily populate your city paintings in the streets, at the docks, in the pubs or other public places.

Supplies recommended. Bring your easels, canvases, paints brushes, palettes, palette knife and rags. Contact us if supplies are a problem. (Supplies for speed drawing are provided).

The difference between the two duration workshops is simply that in the 5 days there is more time to expore and paint different locations.

DRW 200 – LUSCIOUS PASTELS
Duration: 2 day weekend
Start date: Monday,TBA (first session) (5 day workshop)
Cost: $160 (or $120 Early Bird - what is this?)

DRW 210 – LUSCIOUS PASTELS
Duration: 5 days
Start date: Monday,TBA (first session) (5 day workshop)
Monday TBA (third session) (5 day workshop)
Cost: $400 (or $300 Early Bird - what is this?)

Pastels are immediate. It is not necessary to mix colours nor to wait for layers to dry. It is so forgiving in that it is easy to make changes or to freshen colours. Clean up is easy. Gary uses soft pastels; but, if you prefer, bring oil pastels. In fact, on humid days oil pastels are a much smarter choice because soft pastels sticks dissolve or crumble in humidity. There can be a pure pleasure in quick colour sketching of moving objects, a fleeting moment, a vanishing light, an impression of whatever catches your eye and imagination. Gary demonstrates speed skills and we practice on the public. The asset of speed drawing is a huge advantage in capturing things that won’t hold still; dancers, crowds, landscapes, pets, both as a finished piece of art and as a source for a future painting.

For examples of high speed sketches, go to Gary's online album and view the Speed Drawing set'. At the exteme he sometimes stood in the middle of dancing crowds and drew the feeling. No time to ‘draw an eye’.

Supplies recommended: Bring a set of Soft Pastels. Some paper will be provided. Additional pastel paper will be available for purchase if desired. Oil Pastels will be provided for humid days.

The difference between the two duration workshops is simply that in the 5 days there is time to expore more concepts, render more fully and to practise skills. There is more time for individusal feedback.

DRW 350 – SPEED DRAWING (People)- Intermediate & Advanced
Duration: 5 days
Start date: Monday,TBA
Cost: $400 (or $300 Early Bird - what is this?)

Gary demonstrates speed skills and we practice on the public. The asset of speed drawing is a huge advantage in capturing things that won’t hold still; dancers, crowds, landscapes, pets, both as a finished piece of art and as a source for a future painting. One can expect coaching on drawing portraits, self portraits, people on the move

DRW 250 – EXPERIMENTAL DRAWING
Duration: 5 days
Start date: Monday, TBA
Cost: $400 (or $300 Early Bird - what is this?)

Experience the joy of drawing, of escaping, of improving your accuracy, of capturing spirit/likeness, of expanding your visual awareness of what there is to be seen and of pondering upon what may be hidden from view. Anticipate learning new concepts of seeing thinking and of drawing.

Beginners especially appreciate the step by step exercises which build deep visual awareness and drawing effectiveness. “Make a mark and change your life.”

More experienced drawers expand upon their regular approach to drawing. Break free from restrictions and drawing habits that have become successful formulae or just routine. In drawing, joy comes from exploring and taking yourself to a new place. Hopefully, artists begin the workshop as adults and come out as children.

==> Note that teachers particularly benefit with new ideas and exercises for their own classrooms.

PNTDRW 400 – CLASSICAL (ARTIST SHARED) RETREAT
Duration: 5 days
Start date: Monday,TBA
Cost: $400 (or $300 Early Bird - what is this?)

Artists who come to this retreat have already completed classical training or are in such a program. They realize that such skill level can easily take up to 5 years so are likely asking what could a 5-day retreat possibly offer? The answer is that these 5 days are just for you to practice your own projects in peace with like-minded artists. It is a forum where everyone learns from each other and shares one’s uniqueness. So come and share your insights, skills, and guidance. Everyone in this group learns from each other and so the retreat is simply a wonderful facility to be enjoyed.

Supplies recommended. Bring your own supplies. No turpentine please and thank you.

PNTDRW 085 ART PARTY DAY ~ Cocktail Style ... adults only
Duration: 1 day (10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
Start date: Saturday, TBA
Saturday, TBA
Cost: $300 (Payment must be received by May 15. No Early Bird Specials)
(maximum of 12 artists) Similar to the Art Sampler, except this will be in the format of a party supplied with drinks (wine and beer) in a socializing atmosphere and will include a 2 hour Life Drawingsession with two nude models. No art experience required just a willingness to try new things and to be open to the world of artists.