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On November 12,13, and 14, the Tucson Pastel Society hosted an amazing workshop by the Master Pastelist Kim Lordier (insert her letters here)
Kim’s stated goal was to be a conduit for each of us to learn to move ahead towards our own particular goals. Prior to the workshop she had asked each of us to answer a questionnaire and send her samples of our work to help her better understand where we were trying to go with our work. The workshop culminated with her having a private discussion with each of us, to review the questionnaire and help us identify our goals. This was such an impressive feature, unique in all the workshops I have taken! Day One: Kim lectured and had a slide show, all about the basics of a good painting. She explained that, as every student in the class already was a good painter, she was going to review the basics with a goal of helping us improve our work, so that we would have an “edge” in future competitions, if desired. She talked about the use of photos; that they lie to us about values and edges and even colors of light, so we need to hone our skills of observation. In the afternoon we practiced Notans. She emphasized that painting from life was of utmost importance to improve our powers of observation. Since this was an in-studio workshop, we used our own photos, finding various compositions in them, and then doing Notans using the Tombow value pens she had required us all to bring. She stressed the importance of having only one “star” in a painting, which can be emphasized with value design. We chose one Notan/and photo, after she reviewed our Notan work with us individually, then did a painting from that reference material. She spent a lot of time at each easel all afternoon, with wonderful advice as to how we could grow. That afternoon we also learned about High-key and Low-key colors, and did a painting of each, using the same photo for both. The day ended with a lengthy wonderful group critique of those works. Day Two: We arrived at the studio to find a still life of a toilet paper roll on a plastic glass in a box, one set-up between each two artists. The boxes were lined with three colors of paper. They were lighted. We were to try to reproduce the exact colors and value shifts of the white paper and the box interior colors. After a review/critique of this project, individually, and then a lunch break, we all chose a photo and did a Notan, then painting, using what we had learned so far. She spent half the afternoon circulating the room, doing individual evaluation. The day ended with her doing a full demo of a landscape, with an underpainting first, brushed in with Turpenoid. Day Three: The class was to paint all day, trying to do three paintings, using our own photos, first doing Notans and anything else we had learned. During that time, Kim did individual private consultations, sharing with each of us her evaluation of the questionnaires and painting examples we had sent her. Everyone came away with goals for their future work practices, what could be done to help them reach their goals. The sheer scope of the material covered would have been enough to make it a top notch workshop. That she added the individual personalized critique session for all 14 of us took it out of the orbit of the ordinary, into the stratosphere of one the BEST WORKSHOPS I have had the privilege of attending in my very long career! - by Barbara Archer-Baldwin Thank you Kim!!!
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