Home
Gualala Arts
Promoting public interest and participation in the arts since 1961.
Archive of past events: 2004 through 2014
Besides applying the paint, Erin will do quick value studies to organize her thoughts and will stress how important it is to have a good plan from the get go. If the abstract structure of a painting is good, the rest is fun, and better results can be expected. Learning that color has value and how to translate the first simple monochromatic idea into a fabulous painting will certainly transform each person's former outlook on jump starting. Erin works en plein air as well as from photographs, so bring some favorite photos and outdoor painting gear if you have any. If not, don't worry. She will attempt to find something interesting near the studio in order to do a location demonstration on at least one of the 3 days and students can either work inside or outside afterwards. Erin will spend plentiful one-on-one time with each student throughout the workshop, going over each person's strengths and problem areas, and then the class will end with a time of show and tell to view one another's work plus share individual highlights. About the Instructor
Travel has played a formidable role in her development as she relishes each opportunity to explore the warm European environs of Greece, France and Italy as well the Hawaiian and British Isles and choice locations within America. She has also studied with many well known artists over the past twenty-five years in a myriad of inspirational places. As she reaches further to simplify and suggest detail, her allegiance rests more and more with the impressionist school, and this struggle to be honest and deliberate continues to result in images that reflect peace and a yearning for stillness in a world that is often discordant.
Born in 1957 and a native Californian, Erin has two grown sons who are artistic, musical and adventurous. Her husband is her business partner, acting as agent and picture framer. Her work is seen in a variety of galleries and collected around the world both as originals and reproductions. It is a full plate balancing the schedules of location and studio work, travel, teaching, studying, and working with art publishers as well as joyous family and social gatherings. According to Erin, "There is no better life than to study the world with paintbrush in hand and a heart full of love and gratitude."
See also: Gualala Arts Workshop Registration, Payment & Cancellation Policy.
The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA, |
Water media is fluid and can be fast and furious, or slow and calm depending upon your approach. Erin's style includes a bit of both, so come prepared to hear your heart beating fast for a while, then to sit down and concentrate on the details. In this workshop Erin will accommodate students using either watercolors or acrylics.
Painting, studying and teaching the subject of light is Erin's driving force. The cool shadows of the early morning and those that fall long and warm in the evening enliven her creative soul as nothing else. Subject matter is secondary to the sunlight itself, though her locations speak volumes about God's wondrous world of color, drama and mystery.
Her studio on California's dramatic and inspirational north coast is well broken in, though she relishes painting en plein air since it allows her to capture the essence of a place by more passionately communicating its light, temperature, color and mood. Most of her works are in oil applied with a palette knife, since the texture creates a truly lifelike dimension, but she is also an experienced watercolorist and has worked in both pastel and acrylic as well.