WOODLAND WANDERINGS WITH GILLIAN LEE SMITH
May 11-15, 2024 Port Orchard
So excited to share that Gillian Lee Smith will be hopping the pond to join us for two workshops.
“The hope that the seasons offer … Even in a seemingly dormant state, changes are happening underneath, and in a while, everything will come to life again.”
Whether wandering in a small woodland or a vast forest, there is something about trees, the air and the softness of the ground that changes how we breathe, move and feel. We can reflect the beautiful, earthy, mysterious atmosphere of the woodland and undergrowth. We are invited to feel as rooted and grounded as the trees are. It is a chance to pause, observe, and connect with nature and ourselves and perhaps even folklore or those who have gone before us.
Between 2020 and 2023, Gillian created a body of work called Beneath Shadowed Woods, and it all began with walks and pencil sketches in local woodland during lockdown, then hours of painting into accordion sketchbooks at her dining table with mixed media. With relatively simple materials, pages and pages of layered and evocative imagery unfolded, all inspired by those woodland walks. Gillian would love to share this process with you in this workshop, showing her techniques for building up expressive, layered and textured pages full of atmosphere and the magical feeling of a forest.
We will visit a local forest to walk, draw and photograph before spending three days in the studio immersed in painting. We will work in accordion sketchbooks, creating beautiful imagery on each page. The book's magic is that it also allows for an expanded, continuous image that can be folded out to reflect our wandering walks through the forest.
Itinerary
Day One - May 11. We will meet in the studio at 9:30 a.m. Gillian will go over the schedule for our workshop. Then off we go to visit a local forest to walk and sketch. Breathing in the atmosphere of the forest, grounding ourselves in nature and gathering visual imagery in the form of pencil drawings and photos to inspire or workshop days. Gillian will demonstrate how she draws from nature with a simple pencil and sketchbook. Lunch will be provided. Class will be over at 4:30 p.m.
Day Two - May 12. Class starts at 9:30, breaking for lunch (provided) and concluding at 4:30 p.m.
Gillian will share her accordion sketchbooks and other inspirations, as well as photos from her local woodland. We will begin laying the foundations of our book pages, building up textures and gestures to give the feeling of the shapes and visual movement of the forest.
Day Three - May 13.Class starts at 9:30, breaking for lunch (provided) and concluding at 4:30 p.m.
Gillian will share her method of building layers, mark-making, opacity, transparency, visual texture and movement with a rich but limited color palette to capture the feeling of the forest.
Day Four - May 14. Class starts at 9:30 a.m. We will continue adding layers to our pages. Lunch and Dinner will be provided.
Day Five - May 15. We will meet at 9:30 a.m. in the studio for our last day together. We will add final details and touches that will finish our pages off beautifully. After lunch, we will finish any last minute details before cleaning up and sharing our work in a Show ‘N Tell. Class will be over at 4:30 p.m.
This Art Escape includes
Five days instruction from Gillian
A beautiful studio to create in
5 lunches, 1 dinner
Some supplies
New tribe
The cost for this Escape is $1300. A $700 nonrefundable deposit is due upon registering. The remaining $600 dollars is due Feb. 17, 2024.
Port Orchard is the site for the workshop. The location is 9 miles north of Gig Harbor, WA which is listed as one of the most desirable cities in the US to visit (or live). It is located south of Seattle, across the Narrows Bridge on Hwy 16.
The Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter stops in Gig Harbor and in Port Orchard.
There are many Arbnbs and B&Bs in the area.
We Will Provide
A4 Accordion sketchbook
Gesso
Water containers
Paper towels
India Ink
Some inks
Paint rags
Student Supply List
Cameral or phone camera
Sketchbook - Gillian likes Moleskine 5.8 x 5.5 inches
A couple of pencils - Gillian likes Blackwing
Acrylic ink in burnt umber and any other colours you like - Gillian likes Liquitex transparent inks (Prussian blue, transparent red oxide)
Acrylic paint - White, yellow, blue, and red in acrylic paint. Recommendations - buff titanium or titanium white, quinacridone nickel azo gold or nickel azo yellow, cerulean blue or phthalo blue, red oxide or burnt sienna.
Liquitex gloss medium
A range of paint brushes - a 1-inch brush, a few sized 4 to 8, a rigger (very fine long) brush, one other small fine brush such as a size 0 or 1
A couple of palette knives and an old credit-type card
A dip pen
A small spray bottle
Optional extras
Some metallic ink or acrylic paint - Gillian likes bronze
A dagger brush (with a diagonal edge)
Two of Gillian’s paintings based on her woodland drawings
Bellissima Art Studio
Gillian Lee Smith is a Scottish artist living in the beautiful, historic North-East coast of England that daily influences her work. As a teacher, Gillian is inspired to bring her love of people and place to each workshop using a wealth of techniques to make new discoveries along with her students. She has several very successful online courses and a mentoring program.
Kathie Vezzani, who is hosting the workshop, also is an artist who paints, rusts and waxes. She organizes trips for other artists and in a former life was a caterer. She has over three decades of experience organizing trips for foodies and artists.
