Painting Outdoors
A Plein Air Painting Workshop With Victoria Brooks, AIS, NOAPS
When you enroll in one of Victoria’s Brooks’ Plein Air Painting Workshops her first goal is to find out where you are in your knowledge of outdoor painting and help you get to the next level. Whether you are a beginner or experienced painter you are attending because you want to know more and become a better painter. Half of the battle of plein air painting is having the right equipment.
Victoria will show you what she uses when she’s traveling to Europe, as well as painting locally. She will also share with you her supplies, including her limited palette. Victoria will put it all together by showing you how she sets-up, choses her subject, composes her painting, captures changing light, mixes paint, applies the paint and finishes a painting.
You are encouraged to ask questions as Victoria presents her way of working. Remember this is what works for Victoria. You will adapt what she presents to work for you. We all are unique and Victoria’s goal is to inspire you become a better painter in your personal style. You will then have plenty of time to paint and experience the beautiful locations her workshops are set in.
There are several criteria that Victoria thinks about when she is painting and she will share these steps with you through lecture, handouts and demonstrations: Story, Composition, Technique, Color, Values and Edges. Victoria’s teaching process includes quick demos, as well as finishing the workshop with a critique session.
A Students Testimonial:
I have been fortunate to participate in 3 of Victoria’s European workshops: to Cortona (Tuscany), Italy in 2006; the Cinque Terre and Ligurian Coast in 2007; and Provence, France in 2010 as well as her workshop in Mendocino, California last May. Every one of these trips has been great!
Prior to the first trip in 2006, I knew very little about painting and had never taken a drawing class except in school. I am a banker by profession, but my passion is travel, and I wanted to be able to express what I see artistically. Victoria has been teaching me this. With each workshop I have learned more & more about composition and seeing and mixing colors. Before studying with Victoria, I thought I saw the splendor of a sunset, but I did not see the wide array of colors in it as Victoria does. She is a colorist, and she has helped me to see vibrantly colors that I couldn’t even identify before our trips, and she helps you really paint what you see. Victoria goes over every step of developing a plein air painting before we go on site to set up our easels, and she does a demo painting in every location before she helps each student get started. She spends lots of time with each individual student and never leaves you stuck on what to do next.
I have some of my framed paintings hanging in my office, and every day I get to remember the wonderful trips I have taken with Victoria. Clients love talking about the places we’ve visited also!
Buon viaggio!
Kerry