Also please check out my second blog, The Painting Archives to see older (pre-2004) paintings for sale.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
florida report
I’ve returned to winter in Wisconsin after a warm, green week in Naples and Delray Beach, Florida. My time included a bit of travel followed by teaching a three day Oil & Wax workshop at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts.
It was a wonderful class, and the most geographically diverse I have ever taught—including artists from Brazil, Sweden, Canada, the Netherlands, New Jersey, and Florida. Supporting each person through the struggles, questions and successes that unfold during a workshop is for me a very rewarding (and very exhausting) experience. There are no short cuts to either teaching or working through the process, and I am always impressed with the energy and commitment each person brings to class (while calling upon my own energy reserves, which can run low after days of being “on.”) I love hearing people describe various moments during class when something clicked in their understanding, or insights into how the work in class relates to the intentions in their own work.
I was especially impressed with the variety of work produced in this class—it was more typical of an upper level workshop in the individuality of expression. The strong distinctions from one person to the next were especially noticeable as we did our final wrap-up session (a time at the end of class for the artists to receive feedback from the class, and to say whatever they wish about their paintings, such as what worked for them, what direction they would like to explore next, and any problems they encountered.) The work ranged from very subtle textures and color fields, to bold designs and unusual mark making. And as always, the feeling within the group was generous and engaging, and we all parted as friends with the hope of meeting again in some future class.
During the few days before the workshop, I had time to walk on a few beaches, get together with friends, spend time in several studios, and to visit some galleries. While many Florida galleries are aimed at the tourist trade, there are exceptions, showing strong contemporary work. Three of these that I enjoyed visiting are Allyn Gallup Gallery in Sarasota, Gardner Colby Gallery in Naples, and Addison Gallery in Delray Beach--where I caught the opening of Madeline Denaro’s excellent exhibit.
It's good to be home again, but I'm only here a short time. In just over two weeks, I head for Atlanta and my residency at AIR Serenbe. (There are still openings in the Oil&Wax Workshop scheduled for March 9-12 at Agnes Scott College, in Decatur Georgia, just outside Atlanta--please email me at crowellart@yahoo.com if you are interested in joining the class.) ¶ 9:24 PM
It was a wonderful class, and the most geographically diverse I have ever taught—including artists from Brazil, Sweden, Canada, the Netherlands, New Jersey, and Florida. Supporting each person through the struggles, questions and successes that unfold during a workshop is for me a very rewarding (and very exhausting) experience. There are no short cuts to either teaching or working through the process, and I am always impressed with the energy and commitment each person brings to class (while calling upon my own energy reserves, which can run low after days of being “on.”) I love hearing people describe various moments during class when something clicked in their understanding, or insights into how the work in class relates to the intentions in their own work.
I was especially impressed with the variety of work produced in this class—it was more typical of an upper level workshop in the individuality of expression. The strong distinctions from one person to the next were especially noticeable as we did our final wrap-up session (a time at the end of class for the artists to receive feedback from the class, and to say whatever they wish about their paintings, such as what worked for them, what direction they would like to explore next, and any problems they encountered.) The work ranged from very subtle textures and color fields, to bold designs and unusual mark making. And as always, the feeling within the group was generous and engaging, and we all parted as friends with the hope of meeting again in some future class.
During the few days before the workshop, I had time to walk on a few beaches, get together with friends, spend time in several studios, and to visit some galleries. While many Florida galleries are aimed at the tourist trade, there are exceptions, showing strong contemporary work. Three of these that I enjoyed visiting are Allyn Gallup Gallery in Sarasota, Gardner Colby Gallery in Naples, and Addison Gallery in Delray Beach--where I caught the opening of Madeline Denaro’s excellent exhibit.
It's good to be home again, but I'm only here a short time. In just over two weeks, I head for Atlanta and my residency at AIR Serenbe. (There are still openings in the Oil&Wax Workshop scheduled for March 9-12 at Agnes Scott College, in Decatur Georgia, just outside Atlanta--please email me at crowellart@yahoo.com if you are interested in joining the class.) ¶ 9:24 PM
