Coming April, 2019 – Drawing in Studio and Painting En Plein Air: Masterclass with Charles Weed
Space is limited. Register today!
Shells, Scumbles, Skin and Glazes
A look at the June, 2018 workshop with Charles Weed.
Charles Weed Returns to Roma in 2018! –
The Rome Apprenticeship with Charles Weed: we are delighted to announce that Charles Weed will return to Rome in 2018 to conduct a new kind of ongoing, oil painting workshop. For four days every two months, Charles will work with students who wish to develop beyond the techniques of direct painting and into the realm of building an oil painting over time.
For any painter interested in enriching his or her education, this is a golden opportunity not to be missed!
For all the details, please visit The Rome Apprenticeship with Charles Weed page.
The Continuity of Light and the Criteria to Capture It: A Review of the Workshop with Charles Weed
From Wednesday, May 3rd to Saturday, May 6th, 2017, PADASOR was very proud to host an international group from Finland, France and Rome for an intensive oil-painting workshop with the American painter, Charles Weed, that focused on the still-life (skulls and shells) and the portrait. With plenty of enthusiasm and good humor to go around, it was a great pleasure (and luxury) to work diligently from 10:30 to 18:00 for four days straight. Never a surprise, though no less disappointing, when such quality time quickly comes to an end.
I’m sure the take-away for each was unique to her temperament, but allow me to share what I thought to be the principle lessons:
- Start with a palette that puts color temperature immediately in play.
- Make strong statements: don’t let ambiguity compromise your ability to evaluate the precision of your drawing.
- Look for the big shapes/planes of light; don’t let halftones compromise their integrity.
- Carefully consider how the surroundings are affected by that same light source; be aware how the management of those surroundings and their edges with the planes of light affect the continuity of light in the painting.
- Find shadows by building the surrounding lights (as opposed to making the shadows darker–like furrowed brows, darks under eyes, lines under cheeks, etc.).
- Keep the key high; you can easily darken over time.
My thanks to all participants: Paivi, Lisa, Antonella, Joëlle, Mary Ellen and Ludovica. Photos below of the group and the incredible development of each of the paintings.
Special thanks to our model, Estefanie!
Finally, speaking as a figurative painter and educator, Charles Weed is one of the finest I know on both accounts. The empirical reasoning and straight-forward specificity of his teachings brings to mind a quote I am rather fond of by the writer David Mitchell: the tighter the straight jacket, the more spectacular the escape, which is essentially a succinct and clever argument for the necessity of rules in art. I am convinced that without rules, there is no craft; without craft, there is no art. Or, as Charles might say, there is no thingyness. (Trust me: it’s more profound than it sounds.)
In essence, Charles is very, very good in helping others to see those rules.
Thank you, Charles, for your precious time, infectious passion, and generous friendship. Until the next time, a toast to the shifty Mississippi and old leather suitcases.
Timothy Allen
Founder and Director
The Painting and Drawing Art Studio of Rome
Antonella
Joëlle
Lisa
Ludovica
Mary Ellen
Joëlle
Lisa
Paivi
Antonella
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- Charles working with Estefanie the day before the start of the workshop
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- The workshop begins with shells and skulls.
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- Day 1 of still-life painting
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- Day 1 of portrait painting
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- Day 2
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- A final critique of the portraits
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- A visit from Denise Melvin
Review of Rocca Calascio, 2015
Our second trip in three years to Rocca Calascio was another mix of great company, the cucina divina of Abruzzo, sublime vistas and the gracious hospitality of all at the Rifugio della Rocca.
My sincere thanks to: Ludovica, Roberto, Daniela, Spass, Victoria, Kristin, James, Ruby, Mo and Oliver!
Pictures and video below.
Cheers,
Tim
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PADASOR’s First Painting Workshop in Washington, D.C.
The hit of the summer was the painting workshop that took place over two days this past August in Georgetown. Masterfully organized by Maureen Murphy, the venue and on-site location were perfect and the audience couldn’t have been more enthusiastic and gracious. My sincere thanks to all who participated: Maureen, Sharmila, Anne, Loraine and the model Carol. A special thanks again to Maureen for all she did to put it together. Let’s do it again!
