As a practicing painter you may have heard the quote, “Value does all of the work, but color gets all of the credit!” Though this is true, in this workshop Bridget hopes to help students discover that color does a whole lot of work, too. The workshop will start with color definitions, discussion of the color wheel, and color-mixing exercises you can work on to improve your color seeing. Then students will advance to the practical application of these skills by painting a “block-in” of color notes for a simple still life. The second and third days will focus on understanding how the color of the light source affects your subject. Students will paint a still life under a warm light source and then paint the same still life again the following day under a cool light source to study color temperature. If you are intrigued by color and would like a few more tools to think about practical application of color in your work, Bridget would love to work with you. Some understanding of value will be helpful as value will be discussed, but the focus of the class will be on color.

How DO they do that?! Are you uncertain, or do you have questions about how to create a picture of things that don’t exist? This could be a posthumous portrait, a picture of something historical, or something completely fictional. You know you need references but don’t know what to do. In this workshop, we’ll share information, tips, and tricks about how to know what kind and how much reference you need, pictorial as well as legal considerations, what kind of reference is available to artists, and ways to shoot your own reference by either working with a photographer who has the ideal gear, or using what you have available if you have budget and/or time constraints. Come with questions! On Friday there will be a presentation and demonstration at The Atelier. For attendees taking the full workshop, please come with rough sketches. Please be prepared to stay past 4PM so we may talk with you about your sketches so you have an idea of what you'll need to prepare for the rest of the workshop. Please consider these things: any special clothing or costuming you may need; what is the setting, time of day, indoor or outdoor lighting; props that may be needed to fill in your sketch. If need be, you are welcome to bring a friend or hire your own model for the photo studio portion of the workshop, otherwise we will rely on fellow attendees or yourself to model for photo reference. On Saturday and Sunday, the hands-on portion will be at David's photography studio. During the hands-on portion, attendees will get to capture reference based on their sketches.

“There is no such thing as bad weather, only poor clothing.”
-Norwegian saying

One of the great things about Minnesota is our four seasons. Painting winter offers a unique opportunity to study light and form in the landscape. It is one of my favorite seasons to paint. Painting in the cold is not without its challenges, but if you are ready to leave that bug spray behind and see what winter has to offer, this class may be right for you! The first half of the day will be a lecture and demo indoors at the Atelier. After lunch we will venture out into the landscape and paint on location for the afternoon. Topics covered will include understanding form in the landscape, analyzing the value of the snow, and mixing neutrals. We will also touch on color temperature shifts. Class may be cancelled in the case of inclement weather (less than 20 degrees or heavy snow). Class will be taught in oils. Yes, we will be painting outside. This class will be tailored to all skill levels. Beginners are welcome. Please contact Bridget if you have questions. She may be reached via email at BErteltfineart@outlook.com. Materials list & class information will be sent upon payment.

Experience our full-time program in a week-long workshop.

Students begin by drawing a plaster cast or still life in charcoal, developing their ability to render accurate proportions and value relationships. As students progress, they are introduced to the fundamentals of oil and/or pastel techniques, composition and color.

Experience our full-time program in a week-long workshop. Choose from morning basic drawing, afternoon life drawing, or both.

Life drawing is at the core of any serious program of fine arts. In the class, students draw from the figure in pencil. Each drawing is created over a period of several sessions, developing the student's eye for accurate proportions, gesture and anatomy.

In this workshop, students will build their understanding of how basic 3-dimensional shapes can be used to conceptualize human anatomy on a much deeper scope. Using casts, we will use large abstract shapes to break down anatomy to better understand, and thus represent, our subjects. Students will walk away from this workshop with a stronger knowledge of how to prioritize anatomical forms, and how to abstract these forms into simple 3-D shapes. As they say, mastery comes from mastering the basics. Beginning any technical drawing with simple abstract structures better informs an artist whether their initial block-ins are solid and sound. Speaking the language of shape in space will equip an artist with confidence in their starts, and a more dimensional understanding of the human form.

This class includes a lecture and hands-on workshop. Joy’s lecture will discuss how to present your art professionally on an artist’s budget, designing an efficient workspace, and the basic tools of the trade needed to repurpose and craft beautiful one-of-a-kind frames. She will give a demonstration on constructing a frame, glass cutting, and assembling a framed piece of art with basic framing tools. You will walk away with a list of tools and knowledge to create your own winning combinations.

John F. Carlson, in his groundbreaking 1929 book, Elementary Principles of Landscape Painting, urges us to study the expressive properties of line, mass, and color. He states that it is a delusion to think that if a painter can merely “copy nature” well enough, he is creating a work of art, that he has to merely get a certain “likeness” of the things before him. He states that, rather, a painter must see through his motif, into its significance, and then choose his means accordingly. But how does one do that? This workshop is designed to answer that question. We will plant the seeds of creative expression; we will impart a solid means to analyze and consider the quality of interest that a motif holds for us: the IDEA! We will learn how to single out that transmittable, personal impression of some ONE QUALITY in the quantity before us, and get closer in our quest to understand and create true works of art! Each day begins with lecture and/or demo. Afternoons we paint outdoors. All levels welcome.